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An intra-subject observation system includes a first liquid inserted into
a desired organ of a subject; and a second liquid inserted into the organ
without being mixed with the first liquid due to a specific gravity
lighter than that of the first liquid. The system also includes a capsule
medical apparatus inserted into the organ with an intermediate specific
gravity between the specific gravity of the first liquid and that of the
second liquid to acquire intra-subject information, which is output out
of the subject by radio.

1. An intra-subject observation system, comprising:a first liquid inserted
into a desired organ of a subject;a second liquid inserted into the organ
without being mixed with the first liquid due to a specific gravity
lighter than that of the first liquid; anda capsule medical apparatus
inserted into the organ with an intermediate specific gravity between the
specific gravity of the first liquid and that of the second liquid to
acquire intra-subject information, which is output out of the subject by
radio.

2. The intra-subject observation system according to claim 1, wherein the
capsule medical apparatus is a capsule endoscope for picking up
intra-subject images.

3. The intra-subject observation system according to claim 2, wherein the
capsule endoscope is a monocular capsule endoscope capable of imaging
only in a front-end direction, a perspective direction on a front-end
side, or a circumferential direction on the front-end side.

4. The intra-subject observation system according to claim 2, wherein the
capsule endoscope is a binocular capsule endoscope capable of imaging in
a front-end direction and a back-end direction.

5. The intra-subject observation system according to claim 2, wherein the
capsule endoscope is a capsule endoscope having a wider-angle imaging
optical system.

6. The intra-subject observation system according to claim 3, wherein the
capsule endoscope is a capsule endoscope in which a center of gravity is
decentered by changing a balance of weight in a front-back direction.

7. The intra-subject observation system according to claim 6, wherein the
capsule endoscope is a capsule endoscope in which the front-end side is
relatively heavier.

8. The intra-subject observation system according to claim 6, wherein the
capsule endoscope is a capsule endoscope in which the front-end side is
relatively lighter.

9. The intra-subject observation system according to claim 4, wherein the
capsule endoscope is a capsule endoscope in which a center of gravity is
decentered by changing a balance of weight in a front-back direction.

10. The intra-subject observation system according to claim 9, wherein the
capsule endoscope is a capsule endoscope in which the front-end side is
relatively heavier.

11. The intra-subject observation system according to claim 9, wherein the
capsule endoscope is a capsule endoscope in which the front-end side is
relatively lighter.

12. The intra-subject observation system according to claim 5, wherein the
capsule endoscope is a capsule endoscope in which a center of gravity is
decentered by changing a balance of weight in a front-back direction.

13. The intra-subject observation system according to claim 12, wherein
the capsule endoscope is a capsule endoscope in which the front-end side
is relatively heavier.

14. The intra-subject observation system according to claim 12, wherein
the capsule endoscope is a capsule endoscope in which the front-end side
is relatively lighter.

15. The intra-subject observation system according to claim 2, wherein the
first liquid and the second liquid are transparent to light of
wavelengths of the imaging optical system of the capsule endoscope.

16. The intra-subject observation system according to claim 1, wherein the
first liquid is drinking water and the second liquid is edible oil.

17. The intra-subject observation system according to claim 1, wherein the
first liquid and/or the second liquid is changeable in an amount of
insertion into an organ.

18. The intra-subject observation system according to claim 17, wherein a
change in the amount of insertion into an organ is a gradual increase in
the amount of insertion of the first liquid.

19. The intra-subject observation system according to claim 1, wherein a
desired organ of the subject is a stomach.

20. The intra-subject observation system according to claim 19, further
comprising a receiving apparatus arranged outside the subject to receive
intra-subject information transmitted by radio from the capsule medical
apparatus inside the organ.

21. The intra-subject observation system according to claim 20, further
comprising a posture change apparatus for changing a posture of the
subject having the first liquid, the second liquid, and the capsule
medical apparatus inserted into the desired organ.

22. The intra-subject observation system according to claim 20, comprising
a detector for detecting a floating position and/or floating posture of
the capsule medical apparatus at an interfacial boundary.

23. The intra-subject observation system according to claim 20, wherein
the detector is contained in the capsule medical apparatus.

24. The intra-subject observation system according to claim 22, comprising
a combination processing unit for combining a plurality of pieces of
intra-subject information acquired by the capsule medical apparatus by
referring to information of the floating position and/or floating posture
of the capsule medical apparatus detected by the detector when acquiring
the intra-subject information.

25. An intra-subject observation method comprising:inserting a first
liquid into a desired organ of a subject;inserting a second liquid, which
does not mix with the first liquid due to a specific gravity lighter than
that of the first liquid, into the organ;inserting a capsule medical
apparatus, which has an intermediate specific gravity between the
specific gravity of the first liquid and that of the second liquid, into
the organ; andacquiring intra-subject information by the capsule medical
apparatus inserted into the organ and floating at an interfacial boundary
between the first liquid and the second liquid to output the
intra-subject information out of the subject by radio.

26. The intra-subject observation method according to claim 25, wherein a
capsule endoscope for picking up intra-subject images is used as the
capsule medical apparatus.

27. The intra-subject observation method according to claim 26, wherein a
monocular capsule endoscope capable of imaging only in a front-end
direction, a perspective direction on a front-end side, or a
circumferential direction on the front-end side is used as the capsule
endoscope.

28. The intra-subject observation method according to claim 20, wherein a
binocular capsule endoscope capable of imaging in a front-end direction
and a back-end direction is used as the capsule endoscope.

29. The intra-subject observation method according to claim 26, wherein a
capsule endoscope having a wider-angle imaging optical system is used as
the capsule endoscope.

30. The intra-subject observation method according to claim 26, wherein a
capsule endoscope in which a center of gravity is decentered by changing
a balance of weight in a front-back direction is used as the capsule
endoscope.

31. The intra-subject observation method according to claim 30, wherein a
capsule endoscope in which the front-end side is relatively heavier is
used as the capsule endoscope.

32. The intra-subject observation method according to claim 30, wherein a
capsule endoscope in which the front-end side is relatively lighter is
used as the capsule endoscope.

33. The intra-subject observation method according to claim 26, wherein
the first liquid and the second liquid are transparent to light of
wavelengths of the imaging optical system of the capsule endoscope.

34. The intra-subject observation method according to claim 25, wherein
the first liquid is drinking water and the second liquid is edible oil.

35. The intra-subject observation method according to claim 25, further
comprising changing an amount of insertion into an organ of the first
liquid and/or the second liquid.

36. The intra-subject observation method according to claim 35, wherein
the changing the amount of insertion into an organ includes gradually
increasing the amount of insertion of the first liquid.

37. The intra-subject observation method according to claim 25, further
comprising changing an interfacial boundary position between the first
liquid and the second liquid inserted into the organ by changing a
posture of the subject.

38. The intra-subject observation method according to claim 25, further
comprising detecting a floating position and/or floating posture at the
interfacial boundary of the capsule medical apparatus when acquiring the
intra-subject information.

39. The intra-subject observation method according to claim 38, further
comprising combining a plurality of pieces of intra-subject information
acquired by the capsule medical apparatus by referring to information of
the detected floating position and/or floating posture of the capsule
medical apparatus.

40. The intra-subject observation method according to claim 25, wherein a
desired organ of the subject is a stomach.

41. An intra-subject observation system, comprising:a first liquid
inserted into a desired organ of a subject;a second liquid inserted into
the organ without being mixed with the first liquid due to a specific
gravity lighter than that of the first liquid;a capsule medical apparatus
inserted into the organ with an intermediate specific gravity between the
specific gravity of the first liquid and that of the second liquid and
floating at an interfacial boundary between the first liquid and the
second liquid in the organ to acquire intra-subject information, which is
output out of the subject by radio;a receiving apparatus arranged outside
the subject to receive the intra-subject information transmitted from the
capsule medical apparatus inside the subject by radio; anda capsule
displacement driving device for changing a floating position and/or
floating posture of the capsule medical apparatus at the interfacial
boundary.

42. The intra-subject observation system according to claim 41, wherein
the capsule medical apparatus contains a magnetic body, andthe capsule
displacement driving device is a magnetic field applicator for
drive-changing the floating position and/or floating posture of the
capsule medical apparatus by applying an external magnetic field from
outside the subject to the magnetic body contained in the capsule medical
apparatus.

43. The intra-subject observation system according to claim 42, wherein
the magnetic body is a permanent magnet.

44. The intra-subject observation system according to claim 42, wherein
the magnetic body is a coil.

45. The intra-subject observation system according to claim 42, wherein
the magnetic body is an electromagnet.

46. The intra-subject observation system according to claim 43, wherein
the magnetic field applicator is comprised of an electromagnet whose
allocation position outside the subject is freely changeable.

47. The intra-subject observation system according to claim 46, wherein
the permanent magnet is magnetized in a longitudinal direction of the
capsule medical apparatus, andthe electromagnet is comprised of a first
electromagnet applying an external magnetic field for controlling the
floating position of the capsule medical apparatus and a second
electromagnet for controlling the floating posture of the capsule medical
apparatus by applying an external magnetic field weaker than that of the
first electromagnet.

48. The intra-subject observation system according to claim 47, wherein
the second electromagnet is provided freely position-changeably around
the first electromagnet.

49. The intra-subject observation system according to claim 47, wherein a
plurality of the second electromagnets are disposed around the first
electromagnet and are selectively energized.

50. The intra-subject observation system according to claim 47, wherein
the first electromagnet has a double structure in which currents flow in
opposite directions in inner and outer circumferences.

51. The intra-subject observation system according to claim 43, wherein
the magnetic field applicator is comprised of an external permanent
magnet whose allocation position outside the subject is freely
changeable.

52. The intra-subject observation system according to claim 51, wherein
the permanent magnet is magnetized in a longitudinal direction of the
capsule medical apparatus, andthe external permanent magnet is comprised
of a plurality of types of magnets to be used selectively and whose
magnetic field strength is different from each other.

53. The intra-subject observation system according to claim 41, wherein
the capsule medical apparatus is a monocular capsule endoscope having a
permanent magnet magnetized in a diameter direction and capable of
imaging in a side-looking direction or a perspective direction, andthe
capsule displacement driving device is a magnetic field applicator freely
rotatably provided in a horizontal plane for changing the floating
posture of the capsule endoscope by applying a rotating external magnetic
field to the permanent magnet contained in the capsule endoscope from
outside the subject to rotate the capsule endoscope at the interfacial
boundary.

54. The intra-subject observation system according to claim 41, wherein
the capsule displacement driving device is a self-oscillating mechanism
causing the floating position and/or floating posture of the capsule
medical apparatus to change through oscillation driving by being attached
to the capsule medical apparatus.

55. The intra-subject observation system according to claim 41, wherein
the capsule displacement driving device is a self-propelling mechanism
causing the floating position and/or floating posture of the capsule
medical apparatus to change through propulsion driving by being attached
to the capsule medical apparatus.

56. The intra-subject observation system according to claim 55, wherein
the self-propelling mechanism is driven intermittently.

57. The intra-subject observation system according to claim 41, wherein
the first liquid and/or the second liquid is changeable in an amount of
insertion into an organ by a liquid insertion apparatus for inserting the
first liquid and/or the second liquid into the subject.

58. The intra-subject observation system according to claim 57, wherein a
change in the amount of insertion into an organ is a gradual increase in
the amount of insertion of the first liquid by the liquid insertion
apparatus.

59. The intra-subject observation system according to claim 41, further
comprising a posture change apparatus for changing a posture of the
subject having the first liquid, the second liquid, and the capsule
medical apparatus inserted into the desired organ.

60. The intra-subject observation system according to claim 41, comprising
a detector for detecting the floating position and/or floating posture of
the capsule medical apparatus at the interfacial boundary.

61. The intra-subject observation system according to claim 60, wherein
the detector is contained in the capsule medical apparatus.

62. The intra-subject observation system according to claim 60, comprising
a combination processing apparatus for combining a plurality of pieces of
intra-subject information acquired by the capsule medical apparatus by
referring to information of the floating position and/or floating posture
of the capsule medical apparatus detected by the detector when acquiring
the intra-subject information.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001]This application is a continuation of PCT international application
Ser. No. PCT/JP2006/325639 filed Dec. 22, 2006 which designates the
United States, incorporated herein by reference, and which claims the
benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application Nos. 2005-380452,
2005-380453, and 2005-380455, all filed Dec. 28, 2005, incorporated
herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002]1. Field of the Invention

[0003]The present invention relates to an intra-subject observation system
and an intra-subject observation method for making an intra-subject
observation by having a capsule medical apparatus inserted into a
subject.

[0004]2. Description of the Related Art

[0005]Recent years saw the advent of a capsule endoscope equipped with an
imaging function and a radio communication function in the field of
endoscope. The capsule endoscope is constructed to successively pick up
images using the imaging function while moving through organs (inside
body cavity) such as the esophagus, stomach, and small intestine
accompanying peristaltic movement in an observation period after being
swallowed through the mouth of a subject, which is a body (human body),
for observation (examination) until the capsule endoscope is naturally
discharged from the subject.

[0006]Here, International Publication No. WO02/95351 discloses a
technology appropriate for observation of the large intestine by setting
the specific gravity of a capsule endoscope to that of a liquid around
the capsule endoscope or to about 1, which is equal to that of water, so
that the capsule endoscope floating in the liquid can move quickly
through body cavity after being swallowed together with the liquid to
reach the large intestine. Moreover, while a capsule endoscope can
observe only portions nearby when stuck to the surface of a body cavity
wall, according to Patent Document 1, the field of view for observation
is secured so that observations can be made exhaustively by floating a
capsule endoscope in a liquid for observation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007]An intra-subject observation system according to an aspect of the
present invention includes a first liquid inserted into a desired organ
of a subject; a second liquid inserted into the organ without being mixed
with the first liquid due to a specific gravity lighter than that of the
first liquid; and a capsule medical apparatus inserted into the organ
with an intermediate specific gravity between the specific gravity of the
first liquid and that of the second liquid to acquire intra-subject
information, which is output out of the subject by radio.

[0008]An intra-subject observation method according to another aspect of
the present invention includes inserting a first liquid into a desired
organ of a subject; inserting a second liquid, which does not mix with
the first liquid due to a specific gravity lighter than that of the first
liquid, into the organ; inserting a capsule medical apparatus, which has
an intermediate specific gravity between the specific gravity of the
first liquid and that of the second liquid, into the organ; and acquiring
intra-subject information by the capsule medical apparatus inserted into
the organ and floating at an interfacial boundary between the first
liquid and the second liquid to output the intra-subject information out
of the subject by radio.

[0009]An intra-subject observation system according to still another
aspect of the present invention includes a first liquid inserted into a
desired organ of a subject; a second liquid inserted into the organ
without being mixed with the first liquid due to a specific gravity
lighter than that of the first liquid; a capsule medical apparatus
inserted into the organ with an intermediate specific gravity between the
specific gravity of the first liquid and that of the second liquid and
floating at an interfacial boundary between the first liquid and the
second liquid in the organ to acquire intra-subject information, which is
output out of the subject by radio; a receiving apparatus arranged
outside the subject to receive the intra-subject information transmitted
from the capsule medical apparatus inside the subject by radio; and a
capsule displacement driving device for changing a floating position
and/or floating posture of the capsule medical apparatus at the
interfacial boundary.

[0010]The above and other objects, features, advantages and technical and
industrial significance of this invention will be better understood by
reading the following detailed description of presently preferred
embodiments of the invention, when considered in connection with the
accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011]FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an overall configuration of a
radio intra-subject observation system in a preferred first embodiment of
an intra-subject observation system according to the present invention;

[0020]FIG. 10 is an outline flow chart showing a procedure for an
intra-stomach observation method in the first embodiment;

[0021]FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view showing a first modification
of a feeding method of the body-inserted materials;

[0022]FIG. 12A is a side view showing the outline configuration of a
second modification of the capsule endoscope whose front-end side is
relatively lighter;

[0023]FIG. 12B is a side view showing the outline configuration of another
second modification of the capsule endoscope whose front-end side is
relatively lighter;

[0024]FIG. 13A is a side view showing the outline configuration of a third
modification of the capsule endoscope whose front-end side is relatively
heavier;

[0025]FIG. 13B is a side view showing the outline configuration of another
third modification of the capsule endoscope whose front-end side is
relatively heavier;

[0026]FIG. 13C is a side view showing the outline configuration of still
another third modification of the capsule endoscope whose front-end side
is relatively heavier;

[0027]FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of
a radio intra-subject observation system in a preferred second embodiment
of the intra-subject observation system according to the present
invention;

[0028]FIG. 15 is a side view showing the outline configuration of a
capsule endoscope;

[0029]FIG. 16 is a schematic block diagram exemplifying the configuration
of a workstation;

[0030]FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram sectionally showing the appearance of
observation inside the stomach of a subject in the face-up position;

[0031]FIG. 18 is a schematic sectional view exemplifying the configuration
of a storing device of a plurality of types of external permanent
magnets;

[0032]FIG. 19 is an outline flow chart showing the procedure for an
intra-stomach observation method in the second embodiment;

[0033]FIG. 20 is a side view showing the outline configuration of a
monocular capsule endoscope in a fourth modification with a weight
balance in which the front-end side is relatively heavier;

[0034]FIG. 21 is a perspective view schematically exemplifying usage of an
indication plate in a fifth modification;

[0035]FIG. 22A is a perspective view schematically exemplifying an
indication plate having allocation markers made different for each
posture of a subject;

[0036]FIG. 22B is a perspective view schematically exemplifying the
indication plate having allocation markers made different for each
posture of the subject;

[0037]FIG. 23 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of
an intra-subject observation system in a sixth modification having a
magnified observation function for real-time observation;

[0038]FIG. 24 is a plan view exemplifying the configuration of an
indication plate used for magnified observation by expanding the
indication plate;

[0039]FIG. 25 is a schematic block diagram of a workstation shown by
including an indication plate;

[0040]FIG. 26 is a schematic diagram exemplifying the appearance of
imaging of a stomach 3 during real-time observation;

[0041]FIG. 27 is an explanatory diagram exemplifying a picked-up image
displayed in a display unit;

[0042]FIG. 28 is a schematic diagram showing a correspondence between an
imaged region S1 (picked-up image) and an imaged region S2;

[0043]FIG. 29 is a schematic diagram showing the appearance during
magnified observation;

[0044]FIG. 30A is a sectional view schematically exemplifying usage of an
indication plate having an antenna in a seventh modification;

[0045]FIG. 30B is a sectional view schematically exemplifying usage of the
indication plate having the antenna in the seventh modification;

[0046]FIG. 31A is a schematic diagram exemplifying the configuration of a
supersonic position detector in an eighth modification;

[0047]FIG. 31B is a schematic diagram exemplifying the configuration of an
acoustic position detector in the eighth modification;

[0048]FIG. 31C is a schematic diagram exemplifying the configuration of a
magnetic position detector in the eighth modification;

[0049]FIG. 32 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of
an intra-subject observation system in a third embodiment of the present
invention;

[0050]FIG. 33 is a perspective view exemplifying the configuration of an
electromagnet in a ninth modification;

[0051]FIG. 34 is a perspective view exemplifying the configuration of an
electromagnet in a tenth modification;

[0052]FIG. 35 is a schematic perspective view exemplifying the
configuration in an eleventh modification;

[0053]FIG. 36 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a
portion of an intra-subject observation system in a fourth embodiment of
the present invention;

[0054]FIG. 37 is a schematic view showing the configuration of a portion
of an intra-subject observation system in a fifth embodiment of the
present invention;

[0055]FIG. 38 is a schematic view showing the configuration of a portion
of an intra-subject observation system in a sixth embodiment of the
present invention;

[0056]FIG. 39 is a schematic diagram exemplifying a modified arrangement
of an oscillating motor;

[0057]FIG. 40 is a schematic diagram exemplifying a modified configuration
to which a paddle is added;

[0058]FIG. 41 is a plan view exemplifying the modified configuration to
which the paddle is added;

[0059]FIG. 42 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a
portion of an intra-subject observation system in a seventh embodiment;

[0060]FIG. 43 is a schematic diagram showing an oscillating operation by
intermittent driving;

[0061]FIG. 44 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of
a radio in-vivo information acquiring system including a capsule medical
apparatus according to the present invention;

[0062]FIG. 45 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a capsule
storing device according to an eighth embodiment storing intake materials
taken by a subject;

[0063]FIG. 46 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the subject
takes the intake material shown in FIG. 45;

[0064]FIG. 47 is an outline flow chart showing the procedure for the
feeding method of an intake material according to the eighth embodiment
of the present invention;

[0065]FIG. 48 is a schematic front view showing the appearance of the
stomach during observation in the eighth embodiment of the present
invention;

[0066]FIG. 49 is a schematic front view showing the appearance inside the
stomach before and after increasing an intake of the first liquid;

[0067]FIG. 50 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a twelfth
modification of the capsule storing device;

[0068]FIG. 51 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a
thirteenth modification of the capsule storing device;

[0069]FIG. 52 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a capsule
storing device in a ninth embodiment of the present invention;

[0071]FIG. 54 is a schematic front view showing the appearance of the
stomach during observation in the ninth embodiment of the present
invention;

[0072]FIG. 55 is a front view showing the configuration of a fourteenth
modification of the capsule storing device;

[0073]FIG. 56 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a capsule
storing device according to a tenth embodiment of the present invention;

[0074]FIG. 57 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of a
drive controlling system of the capsule storing device shown in FIG. 56;

[0075]FIG. 58 is a flow chart illustrating operations of the drive
controlling system;

[0076]FIG. 59 is an outline flow chart showing another procedure for the
feeding method of an intake material using the capsule storing device
according to the tenth embodiment of the present invention;

[0077]FIG. 60 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a
fifteenth modification of the capsule storing device; and

[0078]FIG. 61 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a
sixteenth modification of the capsule storing device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0079]Embodiments of an intra-subject observation system and an
intra-subject observation method according to the present invention will
be described in detail below based on drawings. However, the present
invention is not limited to embodiments shown below and can variously be
modified within the scope of the present invention.

First Embodiment

[0080]FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an overall configuration of a
radio intra-subject observation system in a preferred first embodiment of
the intra-subject observation system according to the present invention.
The intra-subject observation system uses a capsule endoscope as an
example of a capsule medical apparatus. In FIG. 1, the intra-subject
observation system comprises a body-inserted material 5 including a
capsule endoscope 4 for pickling up images inside a body cavity to
transmit data such as a video signal and the like after being inserted
into a desired organ such as a stomach 3 of a subject 2 by a feeding
apparatus 1, which is a liquid insertion apparatus, and a receiving
apparatus 6 used for reception processing of a radio signal transmitted
from the capsule endoscope 4 inserted into the stomach 3. The receiving
apparatus 6 is used while disposed near the subject 2 to perform
reception processing of a radio signal received from the capsule
endoscope 4. The body-inserted material 5 consists of the capsule
endoscope 4, a first liquid 7, and a second liquid 8 prepared inside the
feeding apparatus 1.

[0081]The intra-subject observation system in the first embodiment also
comprises a display unit 9 for displaying images inside the body cavity
based on a video signal received by the receiving apparatus 6 and a
workstation 10 controlling the whole system. The receiving apparatus 6
comprises one or a plurality of antennas 6a attached to the body surface
outside the subject 2 and near the stomach 3 and a main receiving unit 6b
connected to the antenna 6a to perform reception processing of a radio
signal received via the antenna 6a. The antenna 6a may also be fixed, for
example, to a receiving jacket wearable by the subject 2 so that the
subject 2 mounts the antenna 6a by wearing the receiving jacket. In this
case, the antenna 6a may be freely removable from the jacket.

[0082]The workstation 10 is connected to the receiving apparatus 6 via a
wire and configured so that data can be passed to the receiving apparatus
6. The display unit 9 is used to display images inside the body cavity or
the like picked up by the capsule endoscope 4 and more specifically, may
has a configuration to directly display an image such as a CRT display
and a liquid crystal display or that to output an image to another medium
such as a printer. For passing of data between the receiving apparatus 6
and the workstation 10, a built-in recorder such as a hard disk in the
receiving apparatus 6 may be used to connect the receiving apparatus 6
and the workstation 10 by radio. Further, the workstation 10 itself may
be configured to be used as a receiving apparatus by providing only the
antenna 6a on the subject 2 side and making a signal received by the
antenna 6a directly receivable by the workstation 10 through
communication.

[0083]The intra-subject observation system in the first embodiment also
comprises a posture change apparatus 11 for changing the posture of the
subject 2 to be observed. The posture change apparatus 11 is used, based
on a bed structure, to appropriately change the posture of the subject 2
to a standing position, a face-up position, or a lateral position by
freely undergoing rotational displacement three-dimensionally caused by a
motor-driven mechanism (not shown).

[0084]Here, the body-inserted material 5 will be described with reference
to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the feeding
apparatus 1 including the body-inserted material 5. The feeding apparatus
1 in the first embodiment is formed of a resin package structure having
two storage units 1a and 1b separated by a partition wall and integrally
storing the body-inserted material 5. The storage unit 1a stores the
first liquid 7 and the capsule endoscope 4 together and is configured in
such a way that the first liquid 7 and the capsule endoscope 4 are orally
insertable into the stomach 3 of the subject 2 from a mouth 1d at one end
opened by cutting along a perforated line 1c. The storage unit 1b stores
the second liquid 8 and is configured in such a way that the second
liquid 8 is orally insertable into the stomach 3 of the subject 2 from a
mouth 1f at the other end opened by cutting along a perforated line 1e.
Volumes of the storage units 1a and 1b are suitably set in accordance
with the liquid insertion amount to be inserted into the stomach 3 and
are set, for example, to about several hundred ml.

[0085]The capsule endoscope 4, the first liquid 7, and the second liquid 8
constituting the body-inserted material 5 by being stored in the feeding
apparatus 1 each have a specific gravity of 1 or so, but have mutually
different specific gravities and specific gravities are set so that (the
first liquid 7)>(the capsule endoscope 4)>(the second liquid 8) are
satisfied. The first liquid 7 and the second liquid 8 are both drinkable
from an oral cavity of the subject 2, and liquids that do not mix
together and are transparent to a wavelength of the imaging optical
system of the capsule endoscope 4 are used. In the first embodiment, for
example, the first liquid 7 is drinking water whose specific gravity is
close to 1 and the second liquid 8 is edible oil such as olive oil whose
specific gravity is less than 1. Further in the first embodiment, the
first liquid 7 and the second liquid 8 are intended to be caused to
remain in the stomach 3 in a period of observation and therefore, the
temperature thereof is preferably 20.degree. C. or higher when drunk.
This is because drinking water and sport drinks are said to be absorbed
fastest by the stomach when the temperature thereof is 5 to 15.degree. C.
and thus, if the temperature is somewhat higher, for example, 20.degree.
C. or higher, absorption is delayed to ensure a time in which liquids
remain in the stomach 3.

[0086]The capsule endoscope 4 will be described with reference to FIG. 3.
FIG. 3 is a side view showing an outline configuration of the capsule
endoscope 4. The capsule endoscope 4 in the first embodiment is, as shown
in FIG. 3, a monocular capsule endoscope having a capsule casing 21
insertable into the body cavity of the subject 2 and an imaging optical
system 22 contained in the capsule casing 21 and capable of imaging in a
front-end direction. The capsule endoscope 4 also comprises a circuitry
23 including a board, circuit components, and a transmitting antenna and
a battery 24, and also an acceleration sensor 25 and an angular velocity
sensor (gyro) 26.

[0087]The capsule casing 21 has a size that can be swallowed into the body
from the oral cavity of the subject 2 and an exterior case thereof
fluid-tightly sealing the inside is formed by elastically fitting a front
cover 21a in an approximately hemispherical shape having transparency or
translucency and a body cover 21b in a closed-end cylindrical shape made
of colored material to which visible light is opaque.

[0088]The imaging optical system 22 is inside the capsule casing 21 and
comprises, for example, a plurality of light-emitting devices 27
(hereinafter, referred to the "LED 27") such as LEDs emitting
illumination light for illuminating an imaging region inside the body
cavity via the front cover 21a portion, an imaging device 28
(hereinafter, referred to representatively as the "CCD 28") such as a CCD
and CMOS imaging an imaging region inside the body cavity by receiving a
reflected light from an illumination light, and an image formation lens
29 forming an image of an object on the CCD 28, and is capable of imaging
in the front-end direction on the front cover 21a side.

[0089]The battery 24 is a heavy component among components contained in
the capsule endoscope 4 and is disposed on the back-end side inside the
capsule casing 21. Accordingly, the center of gravity of the capsule
endoscope 4 in the first embodiment is decentered toward the back-end
side from the center by changing the weight balance in a front-back
direction so that the front-end side becomes relatively lighter.

[0090]The acceleration sensor 25 is used to detect an acceleration of the
capsule endoscope 4 inside the capsule casing 21 and also to detect a
movement magnitude of the capsule endoscope 4 by integrating detection
results. In the present embodiment, detection of acceleration in three
axes (a longitudinal direction Z and diameter directions X and Y of the
capsule endoscope 4) is enabled. The angular velocity sensor (gyro) 26 is
used to detect an angle of oscillation of the capsule endoscope 4 inside
the capsule casing 21. A detection signal from the angular velocity
sensor 26 serves to detect the direction (posture) in which the capsule
endoscope 4 is currently oriented. With the acceleration sensor 25 and
the angular velocity sensor 26 provided, the position and orientation
(including an up-and-down direction of the CCD 29) of the capsule
endoscope 4 can be detected. The acceleration sensor 25 and the angular
velocity sensor 26 are each constructed as a micro-sensor using a HEMS
(Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) technology and, as described later,
implement a detector for detecting a floating position and a floating
posture of the capsule endoscope 4 floating at an interfacial boundary 12
between the first liquid 7 and the second liquid 8. If detection of the
floating position of the capsule endoscope 4 is sufficient, only the
acceleration sensor 25 needs to be provided and, if detection of the
floating posture is sufficient, only the angular velocity sensor 26 needs
to be provided. As a means for detecting the position or posture, a
system in which a magnetic field or radio wave emitted by a capsule is
received by an apparatus outside the body may also be adopted.

[0091]Here, an example of the configuration of the above workstation 10
will be described with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a schematic block
diagram exemplifying the configuration of the workstation 10. The
workstation 10 in the first embodiment comprises a control unit 41, an
input unit 42 connected to the control unit 41, the display unit 9, a
storage unit 43, and a communication unit 44. The input unit 42 is
comprised of a keyboard, a mouse, or the like and is used to
automatically input information necessary for the control unit 41 or to
input information based on manual operations. The storage unit 43 is used
to store various kinds of information acquired from the capsule endoscope
4 and other information and is formed of a hard disk device or the like.
The communication unit 44 is in charge of transmitting and receiving
information between the receiving apparatus 6 and the workstation 10.

[0092]The control unit 41 is constructed of a computer configuration such
as a CPU, ROM, and RAM and comprises execution units of various functions
such as a display controller 41a, a communication controller 41b, an
image processor 41c, an image combining unit 41d, a position/posture
detector 41e, and a state determining unit 41f. The display controller
41a is used to perform display control of images inside the body cavity
acquired from the capsule endoscope 4 via the receiving apparatus 6 to
the display unit 9. The communication controller 41b is used to control
transmission/reception operations performed by the communication unit 44
between the receiving apparatus 6 and the workstation 10. The image
processor 41c is used to perform various kinds of image processing
necessary for image data inside the body cavity acquired from the capsule
endoscope 4 via the receiving apparatus 6. The position/posture detector
41e is used to detect the floating position or floating posture of the
capsule endoscope 4 based on information of the position or orientation
thereof detected by the acceleration sensor 25 or the angular velocity
sensor 26. The image combining unit 41d is used to perform combination
processing to link and combine a plurality of images from a plurality of
pieces of image data inside the stomach 3 picked up by the capsule
endoscope 4 by extracting common portions in image data with reference to
information of the floating position and floating posture of the capsule
endoscope 4 detected by the position/posture detector 41e.

[0093]Next, an observation method of the stomach 3 in the first embodiment
will be described with reference to FIG. 5 to FIG. 8. FIG. 5 is a
schematic front view showing an appearance inside the stomach 3 during
observation. Before the observation, the capsule endoscope 4 is orally
inserted into the stomach 3 together with the first liquid 7 and the
second liquid 8 from the feeding apparatus 1. When the capsule endoscope
4, the first liquid 7, and the second liquid 8 constituting the
body-inserted material 5 are inserted into the stomach 3, as shown in
FIG. 5, a laminated state in which the second liquid 8 forms the
interfacial boundary 12 above the first liquid 7 is brought about due to
differences in specific gravity, with the capsule endoscope 4 having an
intermediate specific gravity positioned at the interfacial boundary 12
to float there.

[0094]Here, as described with reference to FIG. 3, the center of gravity
of the capsule endoscope 4 is decentered toward the back-end side and
therefore, the capsule endoscope 4 floats in a standing state (vertical
state) with the front-end side to be the imaging direction directed
upward at the interfacial boundary 12. While the standing state can be
secured to some degree with the first liquid 7 only, in the first
embodiment, the interfacial boundary 12 is formed by liquids and
viscosity becomes stronger in the presence of the second liquid 8 with a
smaller difference in specific gravity compared with a case of air above
the interfacial boundary 12 and therefore, the capsule endoscope 4 floats
with stability at the interfacial boundary 12 in a standing state in
accordance with the arrangement of the center of gravity because the
capsule endoscope 4 moves (falls) only slowly even if the interfacial
boundary 12 fluctuates. In an upward stable state described above, inner
wall images can be obtained by imaging the upper side inside the stomach
3 by the capsule endoscope 4 before being transmitted to the receiving
apparatus 6.

[0095]If the second liquid 8 is not inserted and thus air space remains
when imaging the inner wall of the stomach 3, a sidewall 3a region of the
stomach 3 above the interfacial boundary 12 shrinks and
extension/dilatation will be insufficient. In the first embodiment,
however, the sidewall 3a region of the stomach 3 above the interfacial
boundary 12 can also be sufficiently extended/dilated by causing the
second liquid 8 to be inserted into the stomach 3 in addition to the
first liquid 7 and therefore, satisfactory observations can be made by
securing a sufficient field of view inside the stomach 3, which is a wide
organ. The imaging direction of the capsule endoscope 4 is directed
upward and, instead of the air space, the second liquid 8 fills a space
around the front cover 21a and therefore, satisfactory images can be
obtained even if the surface of the front cover 21a is scratched or dirty
because such a scratch or dirt becomes inconspicuous.

[0096]At this point, the imaging region by the capsule endoscope 4 can be
changed only by changing the position of the interfacial boundary 12
inside the stomach 3 in combination with a slight posture change of the
subject 2 itself so that observations of the stomach 3 can be made
exhaustively without omission. By using the capsule endoscope 4 provided
with the imaging optical system 22 having a wider angle shown by solid
lines instead of dotted lines shown in FIG. 5, observations inside the
stomach 3 in a wider range can be made with a smaller posture change.

[0097]In the first embodiment, observations inside the stomach 3 can be
caused to be made with the floating position in a gravity direction of
the capsule endoscope 4 inside the stomach 3 set at an arbitrary position
by causing the height position of the interfacial boundary 12 to change
by changing insertion amounts of the first liquid 7 and the second liquid
8 into the stomach 3. FIG. 6 is a schematic front view showing the
appearance inside the stomach 3 before and after increasing the insertion
amount of the first liquid 7. That is, as shown in FIG. 6(a), after
starting an observation by swallowing the capsule endoscope 4 together
with predetermined amounts of the first liquid 7 and the second liquid 8,
as shown in FIG. 6(b), the inner wall can be observed successively from a
lower part (pyloric part of stomach) 3b toward an upper part (cardiac
part of stomach) 3c of the stomach 3 by the first liquid 7 additionally
being drunk if necessary to successively increase the insertion amount of
the first liquid 7 inside the stomach 3 so that the position of the
interfacial boundary 12 gradually rises. Also in this case, the imaging
region by the capsule endoscope 4 can be changed only by changing the
position of the interfacial boundary 12 inside the stomach 3 in
combination with a slight posture change of the subject 2 itself each
time the first liquid 7 is added so that observations inside the stomach
3 can be made without omission.

[0098]Further, the imaging region by the capsule endoscope 4 can
considerably be changed by significantly changing the position of the
interfacial boundary 12 inside the stomach 3 in combination with a
considerable posture change of the subject 2 by means of the posture
change apparatus 11 so that observations inside the whole stomach 3 can
be made more thoroughly without omission. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram
sectionally showing the appearance inside the stomach 3 during
observation when the posture of the subject 2 is changed from a standing
position to a face-up position by, for example, rotating the posture
change apparatus 11 by 90 degrees to move down the posture change
apparatus 11. That is, while the capsule endoscope 4 imaging upward
images and observes upward inside the stomach 3 in a standing position,
the capsule endoscope 4 can image and observe a front-side inner wall (or
a back-side inner wall) in a face-up position shown in FIG. 7. Further,
the posture may be changed to a lateral position.

[0099]Next, an example of processing by the control unit 41 of image data
inside the stomach 3 picked up by the capsule endoscope 4 while the
floating position or floating posture of the capsule endoscope 4 at the
interfacial boundary 12 being changed accompanied by appropriate height
adjustments of the interfacial boundary 12 position or a posture change
will be described with reference to FIG. 8 and FIG. 9. In the first
embodiment, the capsule endoscope 4 contains the acceleration sensor 25
or the angular velocity sensor 26 and thus, when the capsule endoscope 4
continuously picks up images containing a common portion while changing
the floating position or floating posture, a relative movement magnitude
about how much the capsule endoscope 4 can be understood. Therefore, a
panorama image can be created by combining together images in such a way
that a common portion of an image is superimposed on that of another
image by using technologies such as epipolar geometry and template
matching.

[0100]FIG. 8 is an outline flow chart exemplifying image combination
processing performed by the image combining unit 41d in the control unit
41. Roughly, epipolar geometry is used to decide a search range of
template matching and then, a plurality of images are combined together
by template matching. First, two continuous images P.sub.n, P.sub.n-1 to
be combined are input (step S201). Then, distortion corrections of these
two images P.sub.n, P.sub.n-1 are made to superimpose them exactly (step
S202). Further, the search range to limit the range in which
pattern-matching processing is performed is calculated and set (step
S203).

[0101]A decision of the search range is intended to increase the
processing speed by roughly detecting an overlapping portion of imaging
regions when the capsule endoscope 4 is displaced, thereby limiting the
range of image synthesis thereafter, and epipolar geometry is used in the
first embodiment to decide the search range. FIG. 9 is an explanatory
diagram exemplifying a search range setting using epipolar geometry. That
is, if the capsule endoscope 4 is displaced from a position where the
image P.sub.n-1 is picked up to that where the image P.sub.n is picked
up, while a point on the image P.sub.n after the movement corresponding
to a reference point R.sub.0 on the image P.sub.n-1 before the movement
is not determined as a single point because the depth of imaging region
is not known, but epipolar geometry can be used to limit a point R.sub.1
corresponding to the reference point R.sub.0 before the movement to an
epipolar line Ep on the image P.sub.n after the movement. The amount of
change of position information or posture information based on an
acceleration or angular velocity detected by the acceleration sensor 25
or the angular velocity sensor 26 is referenced as a relative movement
magnitude in this case of how much the capsule endoscope 4 has moved
between P.sub.n and P.sub.n-1. Thus, an overlapping portion of the images
P.sub.n, P.sub.n-1 is decided by determining the epipolar line Ep on the
image P.sub.n after the movement and deciding a spatial relationship
between endpoints (for example, an upper left endpoint and a lower right
endpoint) of the image P.sub.n and the epipolar line Ep to decide the
search range.

[0102]Next, a plurality of template images is detected (step S204) and
pattern-matching processing is performed (step S205). That is, a
plurality of template images is created from within the image P.sub.n
within the set search range and a plurality of template images is cut out
from the image P.sub.n-1 to be synthesized to find corresponding points
by pattern matching of these. Here, since the number of unknown
parameters of affine transformation described later is 6, six or more
template images are used to find six or more corresponding points. Then,
affine transformation processing in which a relationship between both
images P.sub.n, P.sub.n-1 to be synthesized is defined as affine
transformations of rotation and translation is performed (step S206). In
this processing, six affine parameters are calculated by the method of
least squares. Then, the determined six affine parameters are used to
convert the image P.sub.n-1 to be synthesized into x, y coordinates in
the Cartesian coordinate system for synthesis with the image P.sub.n
(step S207). The above processing is repeated for all images to be
processed (step S208).

[0103]With the above image combination processing, a plurality of images
can be recognized as a continuous image with common portions of one image
superimposed on those of another image and therefore, a diagnosis inside
the stomach 3 imaged while changing the floating position or floating
posture of the capsule endoscope 4 is made easier.

[0104]The processing at step S207 is simple synthesis processing and a
flat synthesized image is produced. Thus, if the horizontal size of the
synthesized image synthesized as described above is L and the vertical
size is H, cylindrical mapping in which the synthesized image is pasted
to a cylinder of the diameter R=L/.pi. and the height H may be performed
so that transformations between the cylindrical coordinate system and the
Cartesian coordinate system are performed. If such a synthesized image is
caused to be displayed in the display unit 9, the inside of the cylinder
can be observed from a virtual viewpoint as if to view the inside of the
stomach 3 from the capsule endoscope 4, making a diagnosis inside the
stomach 3 still easier.

[0105]Next, the procedure for the intra-stomach observation method
(intra-subject observation method) according to the first embodiment
described above is summarized in FIG. 10. FIG. 10 is an outline flow
chart showing the procedure for the intra-stomach observation method in
the first embodiment. First, before starting an observation, the antenna
6a for receiving a signal from the capsule endoscope 4 is arranged at a
predetermined position of the subject 2 and also the main receiving
device 6b is arranged near the subject 2 (step S1). Next, the capsule
endoscope 4 stored inside the feeding apparatus 1 is activated by a
separate magnet or the like (step S2).

[0106]Then, the first liquid 7 is inserted into the stomach 3 together
with the enclosed capsule endoscope 4 by being swallowed from the mouth
1d of the feeding apparatus 1 (step S3). At this point, the subject 2
shall be in a standing position (or a sitting position) to make
swallowing easier. Next, the second liquid 8 is inserted into the stomach
3 by being swallowed from the mouth 1f of the feeding apparatus 1 (step
S4). At this point, the capsule endoscope 4 is not required to be
swallowed simultaneously with the first liquid 7, but the capsule
endoscope 4 is made easier to swallow by the capsule endoscope 4 being
swallowed together with the first liquid 7. The capsule endoscope 4, the
first liquid 7, and the second liquid 8 may be swallowed in any order and
thus, they may be swallowed in order of ease of swallowing. Then, it is
necessary to wait for several minutes until the interfacial boundary 12
inside the stomach 3 stabilizes (step S5).

[0107]Accordingly, an observable state as shown, for example, in FIG. 5 or
FIG. 6(a) is created, the capsule endoscope 4 is caused in this state to
transmit intra-subject image data acquired by the capsule endoscope 4
through image pick-up out of the subject 2, and the receiving apparatus 6
is caused to receive the intra-subject image data (step S6).
Subsequently, before the required number of times of posture change is
completed (step S7: Yes), the posture of the subject 2 is changed at
appropriate timing (step S8) to repeat the imaging processing at step S6
in the changed posture. If the observation of the stomach 3 for the
subject 2 is not completed (step S9: No), the first liquid 7 is
additionally inserted into the stomach 3 at appropriate timing (step
S10). Then, it is necessary to wait for several minutes until the
interfacial boundary 12 inside the stomach 3 stabilizes (step S11: Yes)
before repeating processing at step S6 and thereafter. If the observation
of the stomach 3 for the subject 2 is completed (step S9: Yes),
observation processing is terminated. At this point, it is desirable that
the posture of the subject 2 be changed to a right lateral position to
promote movement of the capsule endoscope 4 inserted into the stomach 3
together with the first liquid 7 and the second liquid 8 toward the
pyloric part of stomach 3b.

[0108]First Modification

[0109]While the body-inserted material 5 formed of the capsule endoscope
4, the first liquid 7, and the second liquid 8 is caused to be inserted
into the subject 2 together from the packaged feeding apparatus 1 in the
first embodiment, the present invention is not limited to the packaged
feeding apparatus 1 and any feeding method of the body-inserted material
5 may be used. FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view showing a
modification of the feeding method of the body-inserted material 5. One
or additional several bottle-shaped containers 51 storing the first
liquid 7 and one (or several) bottle-shaped container 52 storing the
capsule endoscope 4 and the second liquid 8 may be prepared on a feeding
table 53 attached to the posture change apparatus 11 before being fed to
the subject 2. In this case, it is preferable that the containers 51 and
52 have scales 54 and 55 respectively to make insertion amounts easier to
understand. Or, instead of the bottle-shaped containers 51 and 52,
containers such as cups may be used.

[0110]Second Modification

[0111]The capsule endoscope 4 in which the battery 24 is disposed on the
back-end side is used in the first embodiment to create a weight balance
in which the front-end side is relatively lighter, but the present
invention is not limited to such an arrangement example and any capsule
endoscope having a weight balance in which the front-end side is
relatively lighter may be used. For example, as shown in FIG. 12A, the
capsule endoscope 4 in which, instead of the battery 24, a weight 30 is
disposed on the back-end side or, as shown in FIG. 12B, the capsule
endoscope 4 in which a space 31 is secured on the front-end side to make
the front-end side lighter may be used.

[0112]Third Modification

[0113]Further, the first embodiment is described by taking the capsule
endoscope 4 imaging upward with a weight balance in which the front-end
side is relatively lighter as an example, but if downward imaging is
intended, a monocular capsule endoscope with a weight balance in which
the front-end side is relatively heavier may be used. FIG. 13A to FIG.
13C are each a side view showing the outline configuration of a monocular
capsule endoscope 40 with a weight balance in which the front-end side is
relatively heavier. FIG. 13A shows a configuration example in which a
heavy component such as the battery 24 is disposed on the front-end side,
FIG. 13B shows an example in which the weight 30 is disposed on the
front-end side, and FIG. 13C shows an example in which the space 31 is
provided on the back-end side.

[0114]Incidentally, the monocular capsule endoscope 40 with a weight
balance in which the front-end side is relatively heavier, as exemplified
in FIG. 13A to FIG. 13C, floats at the interfacial boundary 12 between
the first liquid 7 and the second liquid 8 in a standing position to
image the inner wall of the stomach 3 in a downward direction through the
first liquid 7 always positioned on the lower side. Thus, the first
liquid 7, instead of air space, fills a space around the front cover 21a
and therefore, even if the surface of the front cover 21a is scratched or
dirty, more satisfactory images can be obtained than when imaged via the
air space because such a scratch or dirt becomes inconspicuous. Moreover,
even for downward imaging by the capsule endoscope 40 floating at the
interfacial boundary 12 in a stage in which the amount of the first
liquid 7 is small, as shown, for example, in FIG. 6(a), images are picked
up in a state in which the inner wall on the lower side of the stomach 3
is extended/dilated in a wide range with more liquids inserted into the
stomach 3 after, in addition to the first liquid 7, the second liquid 8
being inserted, so that satisfactory observations can be made by securing
a sufficient field of view inside the stomach 3, which is a wide organ.
That is, though the same state can be secured by one liquid if the first
liquid of an amount equal to that of (first liquid+second liquid) is
inserted into the stomach and control to cause a capsule endoscope to
sink to a desired position in the liquid is performed in a state as shown
in FIG. 6(a), according to the present invention, the state can easily be
realized only by controlling the position of the interfacial boundary 12
without performing control to cause the capsule endoscope to sink.

[0115]Moreover, as described in examples of the monocular capsule
endoscopes 4, 40 capable of imaging only in the front-end direction, a
monocular capsule endoscope in the first embodiment may be capable of
imaging, in addition to the front-end direction only, for example, only
in a perspective direction on the front-end side or a circumferential
direction on the front-end side. Further, the capsule endoscope is not
limited to the monocular one and may be a binocular capsule endoscope
capable of imaging both in the front-end direction and the back-end
direction. The imaging direction of a binocular capsule endoscope can
also be made always constant with respect to the gravity direction by
changing the balance of the center of gravity in the front-back direction
to be decentered the center of gravity so that the binocular capsule
endoscope floats at the interfacial boundary 12 always in a standing
position, allowing stable imaging. Imaging in this case may be in both
front and back directions or in one desired direction.

[0116]Though the first embodiment is described by taking the stomach 3 as
a desired organ of the subject 2 as an observation example, the present
embodiment is applicable also to observation of organs having a
relatively wide lumen such as the large intestine.

Second Embodiment

[0117]Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described
with reference to FIG. 14. The same reference numerals are attached to
the same components as those shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 13 and a description
thereof will not be repeated here. FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing
the overall configuration of a radio intra-subject observation system in
the preferred second embodiment of the intra-subject observation system
according to the present invention. The intra-subject observation system
uses a capsule endoscope as an example of the capsule medical apparatus.
In FIG. 14, like in FIG. 1, the intra-subject observation system
comprises the body-inserted material 5 including the capsule endoscope 4
for picking up images inside a body cavity to transmit data such as a
video signal and the like after being inserted into a desired organ such
as the stomach 3 of the subject 2 by the feeding apparatus 1, and the
receiving apparatus 6 used for reception processing of a radio signal
transmitted from the capsule endoscope 4 inserted into the stomach 3. The
receiving apparatus 6 is used while disposed near the subject 2 to
perform reception processing of a radio signal received from the capsule
endoscope 4. The body-inserted material 5 is comprised of, as described
with reference to FIG. 2, the capsule endoscope 4, the first liquid 7,
and the second liquid 8 prepared inside the feeding apparatus 1. The
intra-subject observation system in the second embodiment also comprises
the display unit 9 for displaying images inside the body cavity based on
a video signal received by the receiving apparatus 6 and the workstation
10 controlling the whole system.

[0118]Moreover, the intra-subject observation system in the second
embodiment comprises an external permanent magnet 13, which is a capsule
displacement driving device serving as a magnetic field applicator for
changing the floating position or floating posture of the capsule
endoscope 4 floating at the interfacial boundary 12 between the first
liquid 7 and the second liquid 8, which are inserted into the stomach 3
together with the first liquid 7 and the second liquid 8, and the posture
change apparatus 11 for changing the posture of the subject 2 to be
observed. The external permanent magnet 13 is provided freely disposably
at an arbitrary and desired position on the body surface of the subject 2
by being held by the hand of a health care professional such as a
physician.

[0119]The capsule endoscope 4 will be described with reference to FIG. 15.
FIG. 15 is a side view showing the outline configuration of the capsule
endoscope 4. Capsule endoscope 4 in the second embodiment is, like one
shown, for example, in FIG. 3, a monocular capsule endoscope having the
capsule casing 21 and the imaging optical system 22 and comprises, inside
the capsule casing 21, the circuitry 23 including a board, circuit
components, and a transmitting antenna, the battery 24, the acceleration
sensor 25, the angular velocity sensor 26 and also a magnetic body such
as a permanent magnet 35.

[0120]The capsule casing 21, the imaging optical system 22, the
acceleration sensor 25, and the angular velocity sensor 26 are as
described with reference to FIG. 3 or the like. The permanent magnet 35
provided as an example of magnetic body is magnetized in such a way that
N and S poles thereof are positioned in the longitudinal direction of the
capsule endoscope 4. The permanent magnet 35 is a heavy component inside
the capsule endoscope 4 and the center of gravity of the capsule
endoscope 4 in the second embodiment is decentered toward the back-end
side by allocating the permanent magnet 35 on the back-end side inside
the capsule casing 21 and securing the space 31 inside the front cover
21a on the front-end side to change the weight balance in the front-back
direction so that the front-end side becomes relatively lighter. To
create such a weight balance, the battery 24 or a heavy component of a
different member such as a weight may be provided on the back-end side. A
magnetic body contained in the capsule endoscope 4 is not limited to the
permanent magnet 35 and a coil or electromagnet may also be used.

[0121]Here, a configuration example of the above-described workstation 10
will be described with reference to FIG. 16. FIG. 16 is a schematic block
diagram exemplifying the configuration of the workstation 10. The
workstation 10 in the second embodiment comprises, similarly as described
with reference to FIG. 4, the control unit 41, the input unit 42
connected to the control unit 41, the display unit 9, the storage unit
43, and the communication unit 44. The control unit 41 is constructed of
a computer configuration such as a CPU, ROM, and RAM and comprises the
state determining unit 41f, in addition to execution units of various
functions such as the display controller 41a, the communication
controller 41b, the image processor 41c, the image combining unit 41d,
and the position/posture detector 41e. The state determining unit 41f is
used to determine the status of the capsule endoscope 4 whether the
position or posture of the capsule endoscope 4 is displaced in response
to an applied external magnetic field when the external permanent magnet
13 is brought closer to the capsule endoscope 4 based on detection output
from the acceleration sensor 25.

[0122]The observation method inside the stomach 3 according to the second
embodiment is the same as that described with reference to FIG. 5 to FIG.
8. Next, an observation method inside the stomach 3 using the external
permanent magnet 13 will be described with reference to FIG. 14 and FIG.
17. FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram sectionally showing the appearance of
observation inside the stomach 3 of the subject 2 in the face-up
position. As described above, the capsule endoscope 4 images the inner
wall while floating at the interfacial boundary 12 between the first
liquid 7 and the second liquid 8 inside the stomach 3. Here, in the
second embodiment, the external permanent magnet 13 held by a medical
worker is allocated outside the subject 2 so that an external magnetic
field can be applied to the permanent magnet 35 inside the capsule
endoscope 4. The permanent magnet 35 is magnetized in the longitudinal
direction of the capsule endoscope 4 and, the floating position at the
interfacial boundary 12 of the capsule endoscope 4 can be forced to be
displaced in a horizontal plane by selecting polarity of the external
permanent magnet 13 and allocating the external permanent magnet 13
opposite to the permanent magnet 35, and then moving the allocation
position of the external permanent magnet 13 in the horizontal plane as
indicated by an arrow in the horizontal direction in FIG. 17 while
applying an external magnetic field in a direction of attraction. If the
external permanent magnet 13 is displaced by rotation as indicated by an
arrow in a rotational movement direction in FIG. 17 at the allocation
position of the external permanent magnet 13, the direction of the
external magnetic field applied to the permanent magnet 35 is also tilted
from the vertical direction, thereby forcing the floating posture at the
interfacial boundary 12 of the capsule endoscope 4 to be displaced in the
horizontal plane.

[0123]Accordingly, the imaging position and imaging direction inside the
stomach 3 by the capsule endoscope 4 can be changed by arbitrarily and
forcibly displacing the floating position or floating posture of the
capsule endoscope 4 at the interfacial boundary 12 by the external
permanent magnet 13 and therefore, observations inside the stomach 3 can
be made exhaustively in a short time and an observation of a region
desired by a physician or the like can easily be realized. The position
control of the capsule endoscope 4 in the gravity direction in this case
can easily be realized by gradually increasing the above-described amount
of the first liquid 7 inserted into the stomach 3. Further, observations
inside the stomach 3 can be made more thoroughly without omission by
making observations while combining posture changes of the subject 2
described above and forcing the floating position or floating posture of
the capsule endoscope 4 to be displaced for each desired posture.
Particularly in the second embodiment, the floating position or floating
posture of the capsule endoscope 4 is forced to change and thus, the
whole stomach 3 can be observed exhaustively with less posture change.

[0124]Such changes of the floating position or floating posture of the
capsule endoscope 4 are relative to the capsule endoscope 4 floating at
the interfacial boundary 12 between liquids and can be controlled with a
small magnetic force because resistance to change of the position or
posture is small. Particularly the capsule endoscope 4 in the second
embodiment is constructed on the basis of a standing position with the
arrangement of the center of gravity decentered toward the back-end side
and therefore, the floating posture while maintaining an upward direction
can easily be changed with stability like an oscillating operation. Thus,
the permanent magnet 35 and the external permanent magnet 13 that are
small in size may be used to realize the second embodiment.

[0125]If the arrangement of the center of gravity of the capsule endoscope
4 is the center thereof or near the center and the polarity of an
external magnetic field applied to the permanent magnet 35 by the
external permanent magnet 13 is the direction of attraction, control of
the floating position or floating posture described above can be
realized. If the polarity of the applied magnetic field is switched to a
direction of repulsion, after the capsule endoscope 4 is flipped from top
to bottom (the polarity of the permanent magnet 35 is flipped from top to
bottom), control of the floating position or floating posture described
above becomes realizable and, in the end, the capsule endoscope 4 can be
caused to make a turn vertically.

[0126]Incidentally, the capsule endoscope 4 in the second embodiment
contains the acceleration sensor 25 and the position of the capsule
endoscope 4 can be grasped. Thus, whether the capsule endoscope 4 reacts
to an external magnetic field when the external permanent magnet 13 is
brought closer to the capsule endoscope 4, that is, the status whether
the position is displaced can be confirmed. The state determining unit
41f in the control unit 41 performs processing of the status
determination whether the capsule endoscope 4 is guided as desired and
causes the display unit 9 to display a determination result whether the
capsule endoscope 4 reacted to the external magnetic field. Accordingly,
whether the external permanent magnet 13 in use has sufficient magnetic
field strength and how strong the external permanent magnet 13 is pressed
against the body surface can be confirmed so that omission due to
excessive or insufficient applied magnetic field strength can be
prevented.

[0127]The component used to determine whether the capsule endoscope 4
reacted to an external magnetic field is not limited to the acceleration
sensor 25 and a sensor, a magnetic sensor or the like having a position
detection function may also be used. Concerning the external permanent
magnet 13, it is preferable to freely selectably prepare a plurality of
types of permanent magnets having different magnetic field strengths and
selectively use the permanent magnet in accordance with a result of such
a status determination (an excessive or insufficient applied external
magnetic field). The field strength of the external permanent magnet 13
to be used may also be decided by fitting to the physique of the subject
2. That is, the magnetic field strength of the external permanent magnet
13 to be used is decided in accordance with the weight, height, waist
measurement and the like of the subject 2. If, at this point, a sheet to
decide the external permanent magnet 13 to be used based on values of the
weight, height, waist measurement and the like of the subject 2 is
prepared in advance, the selection is made appropriate and easier.
Accordingly, more correct and efficient examinations can be made by
absorbing individual differences due to the physique of the subject 2.
Also, a program to decide the external permanent magnet 13 to be used by
inputting the values of the weight, height, waist measurement of the
subject 2 may be prepared. Or, instead of data such as the weight,
height, and waist measurement, CT data acquired in advance by a CT scan
or the like may be used.

[0128]When the plurality of types of the external permanent magnets 13
having different magnetic field strengths are used, it is preferable to
provide a storing device for storage so that only one desired external
permanent magnets 13 can be extracted. FIG. 18 is a schematic sectional
view exemplifying the configuration of a storing device of a plurality of
types of the external permanent magnets 13. Here, a storing device for
storage of six types of external permanent magnets 13a to 13f will be
exemplified.

[0129]As shown in FIG. 18, a storing device 110 has six storing units 111
to 116 for storing the external permanent magnets 13a to 13f separately,
a table 117 for integrally connecting the storing units 111 to 116, and a
control unit 118 for controlling each drive of opening and closing of the
storing units 111 to 116. The external permanent magnets 13a to 13f shall
be marked by magnet numbers 1 to 6 for specifying each. The external
permanent magnets 13a to 13f shall have a stronger magnetic force with
the increasing magnet number.

[0130]The storing unit 111 is used to store the external permanent magnet
13a of the magnet number 1. More specifically, the storing unit 111 has a
box member 111a for storing the external permanent magnet 13a, a cover
111b for opening and closing an open end of the box member 111a, a magnet
detector 111c for detecting the external permanent magnet 13a stored in
the box member 111a, and a lock unit 111d for locking the cover 111b. The
box member 111a is, for example, a member whose sectional view has a
concave shape and the cover 111b is freely rotatably provided near the
open end. The external permanent magnet 13a stored in the box member 111a
is taken out and put in by opening/closing the cover 111b. When the
external permanent magnet 13a is stored in the box member 111a, the
magnet detector 111c detects a magnetic field or the weight of the
external permanent magnet 13a and, based on a detection result, detects
presence/absence of the external permanent magnet 13a in the box member
111a, The magnet detector 111c notifies the control unit 118 of the
detection result of the external permanent magnet 13a. The lock unit 111d
locks the cover 111b or unlocks the cover 111b based on control of the
control unit 118.

[0131]Also, the storing units 112 to 116 are used to store the external
permanent magnets 13b to 13f of the magnet numbers 2 to 6 respectively
and have almost the same configuration and functions as those of the
above storing unit 111. That is, the storing units 112 to 116 have box
members 112a to 116a for storing the external permanent magnets 13b to
13f separately, covers 112b to 116b for opening and closing each open end
of the box members 112a to 116a respectively, magnet detectors 112c to
116c for detecting the external permanent magnets 13b to 13f stored in
the box members 112a to 116a respectively, and lock units 112d to 116d
for locking the covers 112b to 116b respectively. In this case, the box
members 112a to 116a have almost the same function as that of the box
member 111a of the storing unit 111, and the covers 112b to 116b have
almost the same function as that of the cover 111b of the storing unit
111. The magnet detectors 112c to 116c have almost the same function as
that of the magnet detector 111c of the storing unit 111, and the lock
units 112d to 116d have almost the same function as that of the lock unit
111d of the storing chamber 111.

[0132]The control unit 118 is on the table 117 to control each drive of
the above magnet detectors 111c to 116c and the lock units 111d to 116d.
More specifically, the control unit 118 acquires each detection result of
the external permanent magnets 13a to 13f from the magnet detectors 111c
to 116c and, based on each acquired detection result of the external
permanent magnets 13a to 13f, control each drive of the lock units 111d
to 116d. In this case, if the control unit 118 acquires detection results
indicating presence of magnet from all the magnet detectors 111c to 116c,
the control unit 118 performs drive control to unlock the lock units 111d
to 116d.

[0133]If, on the other hand, the control unit 118 acquires a detection
result indicating absence of magnet from one of the magnet detectors 111c
to 116c, the control unit 118 performs drive control to unlock the
storing unit having the magnet detector that provided notification of the
detection result of absence of magnet, that is, the lock unit (one of the
lock units 111d to 116d) of the storing unit from which an external
permanent magnet has been taken out. At the same time, the control unit
118 performs drive control to lock the cover to each remaining storing
unit having the magnet detector that provided notification of the
detection result of presence of magnet, that is, the lock unit (one of
the lock units 111d to 116d) of each storing unit storing an external
permanent magnet.

[0134]The control unit 118 performs drive control to so that one of the
external permanent magnets 13a to 13f stored in the storing units 111 to
116 respectively can be taken out and at the same time, a plurality of
the external permanent magnets cannot be taken out. If, for example, as
shown in FIG. 18, an examiner takes out the external permanent magnet 13a
from the external permanent magnets 13a to 13f, the control unit 118
acquires a detection result of absence of magnet from the magnet detector
111c and also detection results of presence of magnet from the remaining
magnet detectors 112c to 116c. In this case, the control unit 118
performs drive control to unlock the cover 116b to the lock unit 111d and
also drive control to lock the covers 112b to 116b to the remaining lock
units 112d to 116d. Accordingly, the examiner can take out only a needed
external permanent magnet from the storing device 110 and, for example, a
situation in which a plurality of external permanent magnets are
unintentionally brought closer to the subject 2 into which the capsule
endoscope 4 has been inserted can be prevented so that observations
inside the subject 2 can be made more safely.

[0135]An example of processing by the control unit 41 of image data inside
the stomach 3 picked up by the capsule endoscope 4 while the floating
position or floating posture of the capsule endoscope 4 at the
interfacial boundary 12 being forced to change successively accompanied
by appropriate height adjustments of the interfacial boundary 12 position
and a posture change is also as described with reference to FIG. 8 and
FIG. 9 for the second embodiment.

[0136]Next, the procedure for the intra-stomach observation method
(intra-subject observation method) according to the second embodiment
described above is summarized in FIG. 19. FIG. 19 is an outline flow
chart showing the procedure for the intra-stomach observation method in
the second embodiment. First, before starting an observation, the antenna
6a for receiving a signal from the capsule endoscope 4 is arranged at a
predetermined position of the subject 2 and also the main receiving
device 6b is arranged near the subject 2 (step S21). Next, the capsule
endoscope 4 stored inside the feeding apparatus 1 is activated by a
separate magnet or the like (step S22).

[0137]Then, the first liquid 7 is inserted into the stomach 3 together
with the enclosed capsule endoscope 4 by being swallowed from the mouth
1d of the feeding apparatus 1 (step S23). At this point, the subject 2
shall be in a standing position (or a sitting position) to make
swallowing easier. Next, the second liquid 8 is inserted into the stomach
3 by being swallowed from the mouth 1f of the feeding apparatus 1 (step
S24). At this point, the capsule endoscope 4 is not required to be
swallowed simultaneously with the first liquid 7, but the capsule
endoscope 4 is made easier to swallow by the capsule endoscope 4 being
swallowed together with the first liquid 7. The capsule endoscope 4, the
first liquid 7, and the second liquid 8 may be swallowed in any order and
thus, they may be swallowed in order of ease of swallowing. Then, it is
necessary to wait for several minutes until the interfacial boundary 12
inside the stomach 3 stabilizes (step S25).

[0138]Then, the external permanent magnet 13 is arranged at a desired
position outside the subject 2 (step S26) and the floating position or
floating posture of the capsule endoscope 4 floating at the interfacial
boundary 12 is decided. Accordingly, an observable state as shown, for
example, in FIG. 17, is created, the capsule endoscope 4 is caused in
this state to transmit intra-subject image data acquired by the capsule
endoscope 4 through image pick-up out of the subject 2, and the receiving
apparatus 6 is caused to receive the intra-subject image data (step S27).
When images are being picked up, the capsule endoscope 4 is also caused
to transmit acceleration information and angular velocity information
detected by the acceleration sensor 25 and the angular velocity sensor 26
out of the subject 2 and the receiving apparatus 6 is caused to receive
the information. Then, before change control of needed floating positions
and floating postures of the capsule endoscope 4 by the external
permanent magnet 13 is completed (step S28: Yes), needed floating
positions and floating postures of the capsule endoscope 4 are forced to
change by the external permanent magnet 13 at appropriate timing (step
S29) to repeat the imaging processing at step S27 in the changed position
or posture.

[0139]Subsequently, before needed posture changes are completed (step S30:
Yes), the posture of the subject 2 is changed at appropriate timing (step
S31) and the processing at steps S27 to S29 is repeated. Then, if the
observation of the stomach 3 for the subject 2 is not completed (step
S32: No), the first liquid 7 is additionally inserted into the stomach 3
at appropriate timing (step S33). Then, it is necessary to wait for
several minutes until the interfacial boundary 12 inside the stomach 3
stabilizes (step S34: Yes) before repeating processing at step S27 and
thereafter. If the observation of the stomach 3 for the subject 2 is
completed (step S32: Yes), observation processing is terminated. At this
point, it is desirable that the posture of the subject 2 be changed to a
right lateral position to promote movement of the capsule endoscope 4
inserted into the stomach 3 together with the first liquid 7 and the
second liquid 8 toward the pyloric part of stomach 3b. Further, the time
before the capsule endoscope 4 that has completed observation being
excreted can be shortened if the capsule endoscope 4 is moved to the
pyloric part of stomach 3b by guiding the capsule endoscope 4 while
applying an external magnetic field of the external permanent magnet 13.

[0140]While the body-inserted material 5 formed of the capsule endoscope
4, the first liquid 7, and the second liquid 8 is caused to be inserted
into the subject 2 together from the packaged feeding apparatus 1 in the
second embodiment, the present invention is not limited to the packaged
feeding apparatus 1 and any feeding method of the body-inserted material
5 may be used and, for example, the feeding method described with
reference to FIG. 11 may be used.

[0141]Fourth Modification

[0142]The second embodiment is described by taking the capsule endoscope 4
imaging upward with a weight balance in which the front-end side is
relatively lighter as an example, but if downward imaging is intended, a
monocular capsule endoscope with a weight balance in which the front-end
side is relatively heavier may be used. FIG. 20 is a side view showing
the outline configuration of a monocular capsule endoscope 60 in the
fourth modification with a weight balance in which the front-end side is
relatively heavier. FIG. 20 shows a configuration example in which heavy
components such as the permanent magnet 35 are arranged on the front-end
side and the space 31 is arranged on the back-end side.

[0143]Moreover, as described in examples of the monocular capsule
endoscopes 4, 60 capable of imaging only in the front-end direction, a
monocular capsule endoscope in the second embodiment may be capable of
imaging, in addition to the front-end direction only, for example, only
in a perspective direction on the front-end side or a circumferential
direction on the front-end side. Further, the capsule endoscope is not
limited to the monocular one and may be a binocular capsule endoscope
capable of imaging both in the front-end direction and the back-end
direction. Posture control by the external permanent magnet 13 of a
binocular capsule endoscope can also be made stable by changing the
balance of the center of gravity in the front-back direction to decenter
the center of gravity so that the binocular capsule endoscope floats at
the interfacial boundary 12 always in a standing position, allowing
stable imaging. Imaging in this case may be in both front and back
directions or in one desired direction.

[0144]Fifth Modification

[0145]In the second embodiment, the floating position and floating posture
of the capsule endoscope 4 are controlled by causing the external
permanent magnet 13 to be successively allocated to positions on the body
surface of the subject 2 desired empirically by physicians, but
convenience may be increased by using an indication plate. FIG. 21 is a
perspective view schematically exemplifying usage of an indication plate
in a fifth modification. For example, a freely bendable indication plate
70 allocated around the waist of the subject 2 has a plurality of
allocation markers 71 in regions where the external permanent magnet 13
should be allocated on the body surface based on a spatial relationship
to the stomach 3 inside the subject 2 provided thereon.

[0146]Using the indication plate 70, the inner wall of the stomach 3 can
thoroughly be observed without omission only by successively changing the
position where the external permanent magnet 13 should be allocated
following the positions of the allocation markers 71. Accordingly, an
allocation operation of the external permanent magnet 13 is made easier
and, in addition to physicians, it becomes possible for medical workers
such as nurses to perform the allocation operation of the external
permanent magnet 13, causing actual working hours of physicians to reduce
and efficiency of examination to improve. If the indication plate 70
includes the allocation marker 71 for causing the external permanent
magnet 13 to guide the capsule endoscope 4 after an examination to the
pyloric part of stomach 3b, a guiding operation for excretion will also
become easier.

[0147]In this case, it is preferable to provide a plurality of the
indication plates 70 fitting to the physique of the subject 2 so that the
indication plate 70 fitting to the physique can selectively be used. The
form of the indication plate 70 is not limited to the sheet form and may
be a dress type or frame mold mounted around the body surface of the
subject 2 or a projection type projected onto the body surface of the
subject 2.

[0148]Since the most suitable allocation position of the external
permanent magnet 13 is different for each posture of the subject 2, the
allocation marker 71 of the indication plate 70 preferably use markers
made different for each posture of the subject 2. FIG. 22A and FIG. 22B
are perspective views schematically exemplifying the indication plate 70
having allocation markers made different for each posture of the subject
2. That is, in FIG. 22A and FIG. 22B, different allocation markers 71a,
71b, and 71c in circular, rhombic, and double circular shapes for
face-up, left lateral, and right lateral positions respectively are
provided and, when the posture in the face-up position is taken, as shown
in FIG. 22A, the external permanent magnets 13 should successively be
allocated following the allocation markers 71a for the face-up position
and, when the posture in the right lateral position is taken, as shown in
FIG. 22B, the external permanent magnets 13 should successively be
allocated following the allocation markers 71c for the right lateral
position. Accordingly, a movement operation of the external permanent
magnets 13 in accordance with the posture is made clear and the operation
can be made accurate and simple.

[0149]Further, if the plurality of types of the external permanent magnets
13 having different magnetic field strengths is provided, as described
above, the different allocation markers 71 in accordance with the
magnetic field strength most suitable for the external permanent magnet
13 to be allocated may be provided. The distance from the body surface of
the subject 2 to the capsule endoscope 4 changes, depending on the
position of each of the allocation markers 71. In this case, it is
necessary to change the external permanent magnet 13 to be used to one
having a different magnetic field strength in accordance with the
distance and, by providing the different allocation markers 71 in
accordance with the magnetic field strength most suitable for the
external permanent magnet 13 to be allocated, it is necessary only to
allocate the external permanent magnet 13 of the magnetic field strength
according to the allocation marker 71 so that accurate and efficient
examinations can be made.

[0150]Sixth Modification

[0151]A sixth modification enables magnified observation of a region of
interest for realtime observation by using an indication plate. FIG. 23
is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of an
intra-subject observation system having a magnified observation function
for real-time observation, and FIG. 24 is a plan view exemplifying the
configuration of an indication plate used for magnified observation by
expanding the indication plate. As shown in FIG. 24r an indication plate
75 has a rectangular shape freely wearable by winding around the waist of
the subject 2 and has connectors 74a to 74f like a surface fastener to
connect both ends when the indication plate 75 is wound around the waist.
The indication plate 75 also has grid-like coordinates marked thereon
indicating allocation positions where, for example, the external
permanent magnet 13 or attracting permanent magnets having a strong
magnetic force for magnified observation should be allocated and here has
150 allocation coordinates indicated by horizontal axes d1 to d15 and
vertical axes e1 to e10. Point N shown in FIG. 24, for example, indicates
a point represented by coordinates (d4, e3). Among these coordinate
points, the horizontal axes d1 to d5 are assigned to a left lateral
position area A2, the horizontal axes d0 to d10 are assigned to a face-up
position area A1, and the horizontal axes d11 to d15 are assigned to a
right lateral position area A3.

[0152]A plurality of acceleration sensors, here five acceleration sensors
75a to 75e, for detecting the position of each portion of the indication
plate 75 in relation to the acceleration sensor 25 contained in the
capsule endoscope 4 is embedded in the indication plate 75. The
acceleration sensor 75a is used to detect the reference position for the
indication plate 75 and is allocated to coordinates (d8, e5) near the
center of the indication plate 75 with the remaining four acceleration
sensors 75b to 75e allocated near four corners. Incidentally, one of the
acceleration sensors 75b to 75e allocated near four corners may also be
selected to detect the reference position.

[0153]The spatial relationship between the indication plate 75 and the
capsule endoscope 4 is set by putting the capsule endoscope 4 at the
acceleration sensor 75a position on the indication plate 75 to activate
the capsule endoscope 4 and initializing the acceleration sensor 25 and
the acceleration sensors 75a to 75e before the capsule endoscope 4 being
swallowed and the indication plate 75 being mounted. Accordingly, after
the capsule endoscope 4 being swallowed and the indication plate 75 being
mounted, the position of the capsule endoscope 4 and that of the
indication plate 75 with respect to the capsule endoscope 4 including a
bending state can always be grasped based on detection output of the
acceleration sensors 25 and 75a to 75e.

[0154]Here, a position detection method by means of the acceleration
sensors 25 and 75a to 75e will be described. The position (movement
magnitudes) of the capsule endoscope 4 (capsule casing 21) in
predetermined space coordinates xyz can be calculated by performing
predetermined integration processing for an acceleration detected by the
acceleration sensor 25. The calculated movement magnitudes are vector
quantities indicating a movement distance and a movement direction of the
capsule casing 21 in the space coordinates xyz. The posture of the
capsule casing 21 is detected by performing predetermined integration
processing for an angular velocity detected by the angular velocity
sensor 26 and calculating a rotation angle of the major axis
(longitudinal direction in the casing center) in the predetermined space
coordinates xyz and that of the diameter axis (direction perpendicular to
the major axis). Similarly, the position (movement magnitudes) of each of
the acceleration sensors 75a to 75e in the predetermined space
coordinates xyz can be calculated by performing predetermined integration
processing for each acceleration detected by the acceleration sensors 75a
to 75e respectively. The calculated movement magnitudes are each vector
quantities indicating a movement distance and a movement direction of the
indication plate 75 at the allocation position of each of the
acceleration sensors 75a to 75e in the space coordinates xyz.

[0155]FIG. 25 is a schematic block diagram of a workstation 76 shown by
including the indication plate 75. The indication plate 75 is connected
to a control unit 77 of the workstation 76 via a cable so that position
detection information of the acceleration sensors 75a to 75e can be
captured. The control unit 77 has a position/posture detector 77e instead
of the position/posture detector 41e in the configuration of the control
unit 41 and also a newly added specified position detector 77h. The
position/posture detector 77e detects, as described above, the floating
position or floating posture of the capsule endoscope 4 based on
detections results of the acceleration sensor 25 or angular velocity
sensor 26 contained in the capsule endoscope 4 and also detects a
relative spatial relationship with the capsule endoscope 4 relative to
the acceleration sensor 75a, that is, the position of the indication
plate 75 including a bending state based on detection results of the
acceleration sensors 75a to 75e. The specified position detector 77h is
used, when images picked up by the capsule endoscope 4 are observed in
the display unit 9 in real time and a request of magnified observation is
made through the display unit 9, to detect a coordinate position on the
indication plate 75 corresponding to a specified position.

[0156]Next, a real-time observation inside the stomach 3 by the capsule
endoscope 4 when the external permanent magnets 13 are allocated to
appropriate positions outside the subject 2 following the indication
plate 75 will be described. FIG. 26 is a schematic diagram exemplifying
the appearance of imaging of the stomach 3 during real-time observation.
The capsule endoscope 4 images a portion inside the stomach 3 in
accordance with the imaging field of view thereof while drive control of
the floating position or floating posture being performed by the external
permanent magnets 13 and transmits images to the workstation 76 via the
receiving apparatus 6, enabling real-time observation through the display
unit 9.

[0157]Here, even if the distance between the capsule endoscope 4 and the
inner wall of the stomach 3 is unknown, an imaged region S1 (picked-up
image) concerning the inner wall of the stomach 3 by the capsule
endoscope 4 can be represented as an imaged region S2 by projecting onto
the indication plate 75. Under these circumstances, a case in which, as
shown in FIG. 27, an affected part 78 of interest appears in a real-time
image displayed in the display unit 9 after being imaged by the capsule
endoscope 4 is considered. Thus, when a physician who is making a
real-time observation uses a cursor K to specify the affected part 78 of
interest by clicking to make a magnified observation of the affected part
78, the specified position detector 77h detects a coordinate position on
the indication plate 75 corresponding to the affected part 78.

[0158]A detection operation of the coordinate position will be described
with reference to FIG. 28. FIG. 28 is a schematic diagram showing a
correspondence between the imaged region S1 (picked-up image) and the
imaged region S2. A central point CP1 on the actual imaged region S1
(picked-up image) imaged by the capsule endoscope 4 can be represented as
a central point CP2 on the extension of a center line C1 in the imaged
region S2 on the indication plate 75. Similarly, the position of the
specified affected part 78 on the actual imaged region S1 (picked-up
image) can be represented as a specified position T in the imaged region
S2 on the indication plate 75 following a projection line from the
capsule endoscope 4. Here, a relative spatial relationship between the
capsule endoscope 4 and each coordinate of the indication plate 75 is
always grasped by the position/posture detector 77e based on detection
results of the acceleration sensors 25 and 75a to 75e and thus, the
specified position detector 77h can determines the specified position T
on the indication plate 75 corresponding to the specified affected part
78. Coordinates of the determined specified position T are displayed, for
example, in the display unit 9.

[0159]Thus, if the physician who is making an observation allocates an
attracting permanent magnet 79 having a strong magnetic force to the
specified position T on the indication plate 75, as shown in FIG. 29, the
capsule endoscope 4 floating at the interfacial boundary 12 is strongly
attracted so that the capsule endoscope 4 comes into contact with the
affected part 78. Accordingly, the affected part 78 is positioned in the
center of an image picked up in close contact by the capsule endoscope 4
so that a magnified observation of the affected part 78 of interest can
be made. A more detailed observation can thereby be made, leading to
improved examination accuracy. Since, in addition to the first liquid 7,
the second liquid 8 is inserted into the stomach 3, the capsule endoscope
4 moves from the interfacial boundary 12 toward the affected part 78
while floating in the second liquid 8 instead of the air and thus, an
operation to come into close contact with the affected part 78 goes
smoothly.

[0160]Incidentally, the specified position on the indication plate 75
corresponding to a magnified observation portion specified by the cursor
K or the like may be caused to indicate directly through emission by
causing a phosphor such as LED and organic EL to be directly buried at
each coordinate position of the indication plate 75.

[0161]When the magnified observation function like in the six modification
is added, a special light observation function may be provided in
addition to the imaging/observation function by the LED 28 to the capsule
endoscope 4 so that a detailed observation of the affected part 78 in
close contact can be made. Observation lights in this case may be
switched according to instructions from outside the subject 2. A tissue
or body fluid collection function may be added to the capsule endoscope 4
to cause the collection function to collect a tissue or body fluid
according to instructions from outside the subject 2 so that a detailed
examination of the affected part 78 can be made. Further, a treatment
function may be added to the capsule endoscope 4. The treatment function
in this case is a function, for example, to cauterize an affected part 78
tissue by a heating probe or to cause a drug to act on the affected part
78 by a drug dissemination mechanism or drug injection function, and is
performed according to instructions from outside the subject 2. Or, a
chemical or biochemical sensor for diagnosis may be provided in the
capsule endoscope 4 to cause the sensor to find whether the affected part
78 in close contact is a lesion.

[0162]Seventh Modification

[0163]In a seventh modification, the antenna 6a for receiving data
transmitted from the capsule endoscope 4 by radio is provided at a
predetermined position of the indication plate 70 for magnet allocation
by associating with the position of the allocation marker 71 in
consideration of communication conditions such as directivity of a
transmitting antenna in the capsule endoscope 4. FIG. 30A and FIG. 30B
are each sectional views schematically exemplifying usage of the
indication plate 70 having the antenna 6a. FIG. 30A shows, for example, a
configuration example in which the transmitting antenna of the capsule
endoscope 4 has directivity in the longitudinal direction and the antenna
6a is allocated to the same position as the allocation marker 71. On the
other hand FIG. 30B shows, for example, a configuration example in which
the transmitting antenna of the capsule endoscope 4 has directivity in a
direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the antenna 6a
is allocated to a position of the indication plate 70 in a direction
perpendicular to the capsule endoscope 4 at the floating position that
can be taken by the capsule endoscope 4 when the external permanent
magnet 13 is allocated to the position of the allocation marker 71.

[0164]According to what is described above, the antenna 6a has an optimal
receiving state when the capsule endoscope 4 is positioned where images
are picked up so that data can be received at a low level of noise,
improving observability. Moreover, mounting of the antenna 6a is complete
only by mounting the indication plate 70 on the body surface of the
subject 2 and thus, examination efficiency is improved.

[0165]Eighth Modification

[0166]The acceleration sensor 25 or the angular velocity sensor 26
contained in the capsule endoscope 4 is used in the second embodiment to
detect the floating position or floating posture of the capsule endoscope
4, but a contained distance sensor may also be used. That is, an optical
or supersonic distance sensor may be provided in the capsule endoscope 4
to detect the distance to the inner wall of stomach and correct
differences in size caused by the distance among a plurality of images
based on the detected distance information before images are combined.

[0167]The detector to detect the floating position or floating posture of
the capsule endoscope 4 is not limited to one contained in the capsule
endoscope 4 and may be provided outside the subject 2. FIG. 31A to FIG.
31C are each schematic diagrams exemplifying the configuration of a
position detector of the capsule endoscope 4 provided outside the subject
2. FIG. 31A shows an example of a supersonic method for detecting the
position of the capsule endoscope 4 using detection of a tomogram by a
supersonic probe 81. Since the stomach 3 is filled with the first liquid
7 and the second liquid 8, supersonic waves generated by the supersonic
probe 81 are more likely to propagate so that the position of the capsule
endoscope 4 can be detected inside the stomach 3 from a tomogram. The
distance between the wall of stomach and the capsule endoscope 4 is known
with the use of supersonic waves, which is useful information for
combining a plurality of images.

[0168]FIG. 31B shows an example of an acoustic method in which a small
microphone is mounted in the capsule endoscope 4 and sound sources 82 are
arranged at a plurality of positions outside the subject 2. The position
of the capsule endoscope 4 can be detected by calculating distances from
the sound sources 82 at the plurality of positions based on strength of
sound detected by the small microphone contained in the capsule endoscope
4.

[0169]FIG. 31C shows an example of a magnetic method in which an induction
coil is contained in the capsule endoscope 4, a magnetic field from a
drive coil 83 outside the subject 2 is acted on the induction coil to
generate an induction field by a resonance system of the induction coil
and a capacitor inside the capsule endoscope 4, and strength of the
induction field is detected by sense coils 84 outside the subject 2 to
detect the position of the capsule endoscope 4. The capsule endoscope 4
generates an induction field induced by a magnetic field from the drive
coil 83 outside the subject 2 and does not use the battery inside the
capsule endoscope 4, contributing to energy savings. Besides, a magnetic
field generator may be provided in the capsule endoscope 4 together with
a magnetic field detector provided outside the subject 2. According to
this configuration, a magnetic field detector such as an MI device can be
allocated outside the subject 2 and thus, a large high-sensitivity
detector can be used. Or, conversely, a magnetic field may be generated
outside the subject 2, which is to be detected by the capsule endoscope
4. According to this configuration, energy consumption by the capsule
endoscope 4 can be reduced compared with the configuration in which a
magnetic field generator is provided in the capsule endoscope 4.
Moreover, detection results of these positions or postures may be used to
determine the position of images picked up by the capsule endoscope 4 or
to combine images.

Third Embodiment

[0170]Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described
with reference to FIG. 32. The same reference numerals are attached to
the same components as those shown in FIG. 14 to FIG. 31 and a
description thereof will not be repeated here. FIG. 32 is a schematic
diagram showing the overall configuration of an intra-subject observation
system in the third embodiment of the present invention. The
intra-subject observation system in the third embodiment comprises,
instead of the external permanent magnet 13 shown in FIG. 14, an
electromagnet 100 as a magnetic field applicator outside the subject 2.
The electromagnet 100 is mounted on an XY stage 102 provided inside a
posture change apparatus 11 via a rotation table 103. The XY stage 102
comprises a rail 104 freely slidably supporting the rotation table 103 in
the X direction and rollers 105 freely movably supporting the rail 104 in
the Y direction. Accordingly, the allocation position of the
electromagnet 100 supported by the XY stage 102 is freely changeable in
an XY plane with respect to the subject 2 on the posture change apparatus
11.

[0171]Here, the electromagnet 100 comprises a first electromagnet 106 and
a second electromagnet 107. The first electromagnet 106 is used to apply
a stronger external magnetic field in the up-and-down direction to the
permanent magnet 35 inside the capsule endoscope 4 to control the
floating position of the capsule endoscope 4 floating at the interfacial
boundary 12 inside the stomach 3 and is mounted on the rotation center of
the rotation table 103. The second electromagnet 107 is used to apply a
external magnetic field in the up-and-down direction to the permanent
magnet 35 inside the capsule endoscope 4 to control the floating posture
(orientation) of the capsule endoscope 4 floating at the interfacial
boundary 12 inside the stomach 3. Thus, the external magnetic field
applied by the second electromagnet 107 is set weaker than that applied
by the first electromagnet 106. The second electromagnet 107 is allocated
on the rotation table 103 next to the first electromagnet 106 and is
allocatable to any position around the first electromagnet 106 with
rotation of the rotation table 103.

[0172]The posture change apparatus 11 also comprises drive power supplies
108 and 109 for passing a drive current to the first electromagnet 106
and the second electromagnet 107 respectively. The control unit 41 in the
workstation 10 comprises an energization controller to change the
floating position or floating posture of the capsule endoscope 4 by
selectively controlling passing of the drive current to the first
electromagnet 106 and the second electromagnet 107 from the drive power
supplies 108 and 109. The workstation 10 also comprises an operating unit
130 for controlling the rotation position of the rotation table 103 and
controlling the position of the rotation table 103 on the stage 102
two-dimensionally on the XY plane.

[0173]Next, an operation of the electromagnet 100 in the third embodiment
will be described. As described above, the capsule endoscope 4 images the
inner wall of the stomach 3 while floating at the interfacial boundary 12
between the first liquid 7 and the second liquid 8 inside the stomach 3.
Here, if a predetermined external magnetic field to be a direction of
attraction is applied in the up-and-down direction from outside the
subject 2 to the permanent magnet 35 inside the capsule endoscope 4 by
the first electromagnet 106 by driving the drive power supply 108 only, a
magnetic force of attraction in the vertical direction acts and the
capsule endoscope 4 is held in a standing position at the position of the
interfacial boundary 12. Then, if the operating unit 130 is operated to
suitably move the XY stage 102 in the XY direction, the position of the
rotation table 103 is also thereby moved in the XY plane so that the
position of the endoscope 4 held in the standing position by the magnetic
force of attraction generated by the first electromagnet 106 can be
forced to move at the interfacial boundary 12. Thus, the imaging position
inside the stomach 3 by the capsule endoscope 4 can be changed by
arbitrarily and forcibly displacing the floating position of the
endoscope 4 at the interfacial boundary 12 by the first electromagnet
106.

[0174]Further, if a predetermined external magnetic field to be a
direction of attraction in the up-and-down direction is applied laterally
from outside the subject 2 to the permanent magnet 35 inside the capsule
endoscope 4 by the second electromagnet 107 by also driving the drive
power supply 109 while the capsule endoscope 4 is held by the first
electromagnet 106, as described above, the external magnetic field acts
on the capsule endoscope 4 in an oblique direction or in the horizontal
direction. Since, as a result, the external magnetic field for holding in
the up-and-down direction by the first electromagnet 106 and that in the
oblique direction (or the horizontal direction) by the second
electromagnet 107 act on the capsule endoscope 4, as shown vectorially in
FIG. 29, an external magnetic field in a combined direction of both
external magnetic fields will act on the capsule endoscope 4, changing
the floating posture of the capsule endoscope 4 from the standing
position to an oblique position. The oblique direction in this case can
arbitrarily be changed by changing the position of the second
electromagnet 107 with respect to the first electromagnet 106, that is,
by operating the operating unit 110 to rotate the rotation table 103 to
change the position of the second electromagnet 107. The oblique angle of
the capsule endoscope 4 can be caused to change by changing the amount of
current passed to the second electromagnet 107 to cause the strength of
an applied magnetic field to change. Thus, the imaging direction inside
the stomach 3 by the capsule endoscope 4 can be changed by arbitrarily
and forcibly displacing the floating posture of the endoscope 4 at the
interfacial boundary 12 by the first electromagnet 106 and the second
electromagnet 107.

[0175]Accordingly, the imaging position or imaging direction inside the
stomach 3 by the capsule endoscope 4 can be changed by arbitrarily and
forcibly displacing the floating position or floating posture of the
endoscope 4 at the interfacial boundary 12 by the first electromagnet 106
or the second electromagnet 107 and therefore, observations inside the
stomach 3 can be made exhaustively in a short time and an observation of
a region desired by a physician or the like can easily be realized. The
position control of the capsule endoscope 4 in the gravity direction in
this case can easily be realized by gradually increasing the
above-described amount of the first liquid 7 inserted into the stomach 3.
Further, observations inside the stomach 3 can be made more thoroughly
without omission by making observations while combining posture changes
of the subject 2 described above and forcing the floating position or
floating posture of the capsule endoscope 4 to be displaced for each
desired posture.

[0176]If the polarity of external magnetic fields applied from the first
electromagnet 106 or the second electromagnet 107 is switched from the
direction of attraction to that of repulsion, the imaging direction of
the capsule endoscope 4 is switched from the upward direction to the
downward direction or from the downward direction to the upward
direction.

[0177]Ninth Modification

[0178]FIG. 33 is a perspective view exemplifying the configuration of the
electromagnet 100 in a ninth modification. While only one second
electromagnet 107 is provided in the third embodiment, a plurality of
second electromagnets 107a to 107f is disposed around the first
electromagnet 106 in the ninth modification to allow selective
energization/driving. Reference numeral 103' is a table mounted on the XY
stage 102. According to this configuration, there is no need to rotate
the table 103' to change the floating posture of the capsule endoscope 4
and it is necessary only to select an electromagnet at a desired position
from the second electromagnets 107a to 107f and to drive the selected
electromagnet, allowing miniaturization/simplification of the structure
of the XY stage 102.

[0179]Tenth Modification

[0180]FIG. 34 is a perspective view exemplifying the configuration of the
electromagnet 100 in a tenth modification. The first electromagnet 106 in
the tenth modification has a double structure of an inner circumferential
electromagnet 106a and an outer circumferential electromagnet 106b, and
currents in opposite directions as shown by arrows are passed in the
inner circumferential electromagnet 106a and the outer circumferential
electromagnet 106b. By causing the outer circumferential electromagnet
106b to generate a magnetic field in a direction opposite to that of a
magnetic field generated by the inner circumferential electromagnet 10a
in the first electromagnet 106, the magnetic field gradient toward the
central axis of the first electromagnet 106 can be increased. The capsule
endoscope 4 is thereby made easier to trap by the first electromagnet
106, leading to improved controllability.

Eleventh Modification

[0181]FIG. 35 is a schematic perspective view exemplifying the
configuration in an eleventh modification. While the first electromagnet
106 and the second electromagnet 107 are provided in the third
embodiment, a pair of electromagnets 121, 122 arranged opposite to each
other in the up-and-down direction outside the subject 2 is provided in
the eleventh modification. Reference numeral 123 is a rotating column
that freely changes the positions of the electromagnets 121, 122 with
respect to the subject 2 by supporting the electromagnets 121, 122.
According to this configuration, a stable external magnetic field can be
provided in a wide range to the capsule endoscope 4 inside the stomach 3,
leading to improved controllability.

Fourth Embodiment

[0182]Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described
with reference to FIG. 36. The same reference numerals are attached to
the same components as those shown in FIG. 14 to FIG. 31 and a
description thereof will not be repeated here. FIG. 36 is a schematic
view showing the configuration of a portion of an intra-subject
observation system in the fourth embodiment. The intra-subject
observation system in the fourth embodiment comprises, instead of the
external permanent magnet 13 shown in FIG. 14, an electromagnet 131 whose
allocation position outside the subject 2 is freely changeable with
cantilevered suspension by an arm material as a magnetic field
applicator. The strength of an external magnetic field of the
electromagnet 131 applied to the capsule endoscope 4 is made freely
changeable through control of the drive current by a current controller
132 provided with the control unit 41 in the workstation 10.

[0183]As described above, the capsule endoscope 4 images the inner wall of
the stomach 3 while floating at the interfacial boundary 12 between the
first liquid 7 and the second liquid 8 inside the stomach 3. Here, the
fourth embodiment comprises the electromagnet 131 with cantilevered
suspension by a medical worker outside the subject 2, which can apply an
external magnetic field to the permanent magnet 35 inside the capsule
endoscope 4. The permanent magnet 35 is magnetized in the longitudinal
direction of the capsule endoscope 4 and, the floating position at the
interfacial boundary 12 of the capsule endoscope 4 can be forced to be
displaced in a horizontal plane by selecting polarity of an applied
magnetic field of the electromagnet 131 and allocating the electromagnet
131 opposite to the permanent magnet 35, and then moving the allocation
position of the electromagnet 131 in the horizontal plane while applying
an external magnetic field in a direction of attraction. If the
electromagnet 131 is displaced by rotation at the allocation position of
the electromagnet 131, the direction of the external magnetic field
applied to the permanent magnet 35 is also tilted from the vertical
direction, thereby forcing the floating posture at the interfacial
boundary 12 of the capsule endoscope 4 to be displaced in the horizontal
plane.

[0184]Accordingly, the imaging position and imaging direction inside the
stomach 3 by the capsule endoscope 4 can be changed by arbitrarily and
forcibly displacing the floating position or floating posture of the
capsule endoscope 4 at the interfacial boundary 12 by the electromagnet
131 and therefore, observations inside the stomach 3 can be made
exhaustively in a short time and an observation of a region desired by a
physician or the like can easily be realized. The position control of the
capsule endoscope 4 in the gravity direction in this case can easily be
realized by gradually increasing the above-described amount of the first
liquid 7 inserted into the stomach 3. Further, observations inside the
stomach 3 can be made more thoroughly without omission by making
observations while combining posture changes of the subject 2 described
above and forcing the floating position or floating posture of the
capsule endoscope 4 to be displaced for each desired posture.

[0185]Here, the indication plate 70 with the allocation markers 71 is
mounted on the body surface of the subject 2 in the fourth embodiment and
thus, the position of the electromagnet 131 may be changed following the
allocation markers 71. At this point, the distance from the body surface
to the capsule endoscope 4 inside the stomach 3 is different depending on
the position of each of the allocation markers 71 and thus, it is
preferable to change the current to be passed to the electromagnet 131
depending on the type of the allocation marker 71 by providing the
different allocation markers 71 in accordance with the magnetic field
strength most suitable for the electromagnet 131 to be allocated. Change
control of the current to be passed to the electromagnet 131 may
automatically be performed by the current controller 132 based on a
detection result of the type of the allocation marker 71 detected by a
marker detection sensor 133 provided in the electromagnet 131. Or, change
control of the current may automatically be performed by the current
controller 132 based on, instead of the type of the allocation marker 71
being detected, position information of the electromagnet 131.

Fifth Embodiment

[0186]Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described
with reference to FIG. 37. The same reference numerals are attached to
the same components as those shown in FIG. 14 to FIG. 31 and a
description thereof will not be repeated here. FIG. 37 is a schematic
diagram showing the configuration of a portion of an intra-subject
observation system in the fifth embodiment. The intra-subject observation
system in the fifth embodiment comprises, instead of the monocular
capsule endoscope 4 capable of imaging in the front-end direction shown
in FIG. 14 or the like, a monocular capsule endoscope 141 capable of
imaging in a side-looking direction perpendicular to the longitudinal
direction. The capsule endoscope 141 may be capable of imaging in the
oblique direction only. The capsule endoscope 141 contains a permanent
magnet 142 magnetized in such a way that N and S poles are in the
diameter direction as a magnetic body and the center of gravity is
arranged, for example, so as to make the back-end side heavier.

[0187]Also, outside the subject 2, a pair of electromagnets 143, 144
having the same properties and arranged adjacent to each other and on the
same plane with respect to the center position on the lower side is
provided as a magnetic field applicator. External magnetic fields
generated by these electromagnets 143, 144 are set to be in the
up-and-down direction. These electromagnets 143, 144 are provided freely
rotatably around the central axis in a horizontal plane.

[0188]Here, the capsule endoscope 141 floats at the interfacial boundary
12 between the first liquid 7 and the second liquid 8 inside the stomach
3. At this point, the insertion amount of the second liquid 8 into the
stomach 3 is adjusted so that the imaging field of view of the imaging
optical system in the side-looking method is in the second liquid 8.
Accordingly, the capsule endoscope 141 images the side surface of the
inner wall of the stomach 3 while floating at the interfacial boundary
12. Here, if the electromagnets 143, 144 are rotated around the central
axis in the horizontal plane while causing these electromagnets 143, 144
to apply an external magnetic field from the electromagnet 143 to the
electromagnet 144 by passing through the permanent magnet 142, a rotating
magnetic field will act on the permanent magnet 142 in the horizontal
plane so that the posture of the capsule endoscope 141 changes as if to
rotate like a lighthouse in the horizontal plane while maintaining the
standing position. The capsule endoscope 141 in the side-looking method
can thereby pick up images from all around the inner wall of the stomach
3 in the horizontal plane and make observations inside the stomach 3
exhaustively in a short time. The imaging position in the height
direction can be controlled by adding the insertion amount of the first
liquid 7.

Sixth Embodiment

[0189]Next, a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described
with reference to FIG. 38. The same reference numerals are attached to
the same components as those shown in FIG. 14 to FIG. 31 and a
description thereof will not be repeated here. FIG. 38 is a schematic
diagram showing the configuration of a portion of an intra-subject
observation system in the sixth embodiment. The intra-subject observation
system in the sixth embodiment comprises, instead of the capsule
endoscope 4 shown in FIG. 14 or the like, a capsule endoscope 152
containing an oscillating motor 151 like a pager motor as a
self-oscillating mechanism. As shown in FIG. 38, the oscillating motor
151 arranged decentered from the central axis in the longitudinal
direction of the capsule endoscope 152. The center of gravity of the
capsule endoscope 152 is decentered toward the back-end side with the
arrangement of the oscillating motor 151, a battery and the like, which
are heavier among components in the capsule endoscope 152, on the
back-end side.

[0190]The capsule endoscope 152 in the sixth embodiment images the inner
wall of the stomach 3 while floating at the interfacial boundary 12
between the first liquid 7 and the second liquid 8 inside the stomach 3.
Here, the capsule endoscope 152 in the sixth embodiment contains the
decentered oscillating motor 151 and an oscillatory movement, indicated
by dashed lines in FIG. 38, of the capsule endoscope 152 is generated by
causing the oscillating motor 151 to generate an oscillatory movement. As
a result, the capsule endoscope 152 moves by changing the floating
position or floating posture at the interfacial boundary 12 while being
forced to oscillate by itself. Accordingly, the capsule endoscope 152 can
pick up images inside the stomach 3 in a wide range and make observations
inside the stomach 3 exhaustively in a short time. The imaging position
in the height direction can be controlled by adding the insertion amount
of the first liquid 7. Further, by combining posture changes of the
subject 2 described above, observations inside the stomach 3 can be made
more thoroughly.

[0191]Incidentally, the oscillating motor 151 may be started to drive when
the capsule endoscope 152 is swallowed, or after being swallowed into the
stomach 3, the oscillating motor 151 may be started to drive by being
switched on according to radio instructions from outside at an
appropriate time.

[0192]As shown in FIG. 39, the oscillating motor 151 may be arranged
slantingly to intersect the central axis in the longitudinal direction.
Or, after causing the oscillating motor 151 to be arranged on the central
axis in the longitudinal direction, as shown in FIG. 40 and FIG. 41, a
fin-like paddle 153 may be provided on both sides on an outer
circumference of the capsule endoscope 152 so that the capsule endoscope
152 moves in a horizontal plane by the first liquid 7 being paddled by
the paddle 153 accompanying oscillation of the oscillating motor 151.

Seventh Embodiment

[0193]Next, a seventh embodiment of the present invention will be
described with reference to FIG. 42. The same reference numerals are
attached to the same components as those shown in FIG. 14 to FIG. 31 and
a description thereof will not be repeated here. FIG. 42 is a schematic
diagram showing the configuration of a portion of an intra-subject
observation system in the seventh embodiment. The intra-subject
observation system in the seventh embodiment comprises, instead of the
capsule endoscope 4 shown in FIG. 14 or the like, a capsule endoscope 163
containing a screw 161 as a self-propelling mechanism and a motor 162 to
drive the screw 161. The screw 161 is contained in the capsule endoscope
163 while maintaining a watertight state of other components and also
communicatively connected to a water inlet 164 and a water outoutlet 165.
The center of gravity of the capsule endoscope 163 is decentered toward
the back-end side with the arrangement of the motor 162, a battery and
the like, which are heavier among components in the capsule endoscope
163, on the back-end side.

[0194]The capsule endoscope 163 in the seventh embodiment images the inner
wall of the stomach 3 while floating at the interfacial boundary 12
between the first liquid 7 and the second liquid 8 inside the stomach 3.
Here, the capsule endoscope 163 in the seventh embodiment contains the
screw 161 rotating by driving of the motor 162 and moves with a generated
current at the interfacial boundary 12 while floating at the interfacial
boundary 12 by causing the screw 161 to drive for propulsion so that the
floating position thereof is successively forced to change. Accordingly,
the capsule endoscope 163 can pick up images inside the stomach 3 in a
wide range and make observations inside the stomach 3 exhaustively in a
short time. The imaging position in the height direction can be
controlled by adding the insertion amount of the first liquid 7. Further,
by combining posture changes of the subject 2 described above,
observations inside the stomach 3 can be made more thoroughly.

[0195]Incidentally, the motor 162 may be started to drive when the capsule
endoscope 163 is swallowed, or after being swallowed into the stomach 3,
the motor 162 may be started to drive by being switched on according to
radio instructions from outside at an appropriate time.

[0196]Particularly by causing the motor 162 to be driven intermittently,
the whole capsule endoscope 163 may be caused to oscillate, as shown in
FIG. 43, to broaden the range of imaging field of view of the capsule
endoscope 163.

Eighth Embodiment

[0197]FIG. 44 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of
a radio intra-subject observation system including a capsule medical
apparatus according to the present invention. The radio intra-subject
observation system will be described by taking, as a capsule medical
apparatus, a capsule endoscope for imaging a tested portion inside a body
cavity after being inserted into the body cavity through the mouth of a
subject (human) as an example.

[0198]In FIG. 44, the radio intra-subject observation system comprises the
receiving apparatus 6 having a radio receiving function and the capsule
endoscope 4 inserted into the subject 2 to pick up images inside the body
cavity before transmitting data such as an image signal to the receiving
apparatus 6. The intra-subject observation system also comprises a
display unit 204 for displaying images inside the body cavity based on an
image signal received by the receiving apparatus 6 and a portable
recording medium 205 for passing data between the receiving apparatus 6
and the display unit 204.

[0199]The receiving apparatus 6 comprises an antenna unit 6c having a
plurality of antennas A1 to An for reception attached to the body surface
outside the subject 2 and a main receiving unit 6d for performing
processing of a radio signal received via the plurality of antennas A1 to
An for reception and these units are removably connected via connectors
or the like. Each of the antennas A1 to An for reception may also be
fixed, for example, to a jacket wearable by the subject 2 so that the
subject 2 mounts the antennas A1 to An for reception by wearing the
jacket. In this case, the antennas A1 to An for reception may be freely
removable from the jacket.

[0200]The display unit 204 is used to display images inside the body
cavity or the like picked up by the capsule endoscope 4 and has a
configuration like a workstation that displays images based on data
acquired by the portable recording medium 205. More specifically, the
display unit 204 may has a configuration to directly display an image
such as a CRT display and a liquid crystal display or that to output an
image to another medium such as a printer.

[0201]The portable recording medium 205 is removable from the main
receiving unit 6d and the display unit 204 and has a structure allowing
output or recording of information when inserted in both. In the eighth
embodiment, the portable recording medium 205 records data transmitted
from the capsule endoscope 4 by being inserted in the main receiving unit
6d while the capsule endoscope 4 moves inside the body cavity of the
subject 2. When, after the capsule endoscope 4 is discharged from the
subject 2, that is, after imaging inside the subject 2 is completed, the
portable recording medium 205 is removed from the main receiving unit 6d
and inserted into the display unit 204, which reads data recorded in the
portable recording medium 205. By passing data between the main receiving
unit 6d and the display unit 204 by using the portable recording medium
205 made of, for example, CompactFlash (registered trademark) memory, the
subject 2 can move more freely while images inside the body cavity being
picked up than when the main receiving unit 6d and the display unit 204
are directly connected by wire. Here, the portable recording medium 205
is used for passing data between the main receiving unit 6d and the
display unit 204, but the medium is not limited to this and, for example,
the main receiving unit 6d may use another built-in recorder such as a
hard disk, which is connected to the display unit 204 by wire or by radio
to pass data between the hard disk and the display unit 204.

[0202]Incidentally, the capsule endoscope 4 needs to maintain a sterilized
state after being sterilized. Moreover, in examinations using the capsule
endoscope 4, in addition to the capsule endoscope 4, a plurality of
intake materials such as liquids (a liquid for extending or dilating
luminal organs or a cleaning liquid for cleaning inside lumina) and a
foaming agent for extending luminal organs may have to be given to a
subject in specific order. Thus, in the eighth embodiment, the plurality
of intake materials including the sterilized capsule endoscope 4 is
stored in a capsule storing device. FIG. 45 is a perspective view showing
the configuration of a capsule storing device 206 according to the eighth
embodiment storing intake materials taken by a subject.

[0203]In FIG. 45, the capsule storing device 206 comprises a package 210
as a storage unit having storage areas 211, 212 for storing the capsule
endoscope 4 and liquids, and a partition wall 213 provided between the
storage areas 211, 212 to penetrably separate the storage areas 211, 212.
The package 210 is formed of, for example, a resin material in an
approximately cylindrical bag shape and has the two-part storage areas
211, 212 provided therein.

[0204]The storage areas 211, 212 are formed in an approximately
cylindrical shape. For example, the capsule endoscope 4 and the first
liquid 7 used by the subject 2 to swallow the capsule endoscope 4 are
stored in the storage area 211, and the second liquid 8 is stored in the
storage area 212. The partition wall 213 to separate the storage areas
211, 212 is allocated between the storage areas 211, 212. The partition
wall 213 acts to separate the both storage areas 211, 212 against
pressure from the storage area 211 direction (pressure applied from the
storage area 211 side) and acts to allow penetration between the both
storage areas 211, 212 against pressure from the storage area 212
direction (pressure applied from the storage area 212 side) in the same
manner, for example, like a check valve. Or, the partition wall 213 acts
to break against pressure of a certain level or higher from the storage
area 212 direction. Such storage areas are not limited to two areas and a
plurality of storage areas may be provided in the package 210 so that the
first liquid 7 and the second liquid 8 are finely divided for storage
therein.

[0205]A mouth 214 is provided at one end of the storage area 211 to allow
intake materials inside the storage areas 211, 212 to discharge. The
mouth 214 is formed normally to block the storage area 211 from outside
and formed in such a way that the storage area 211 and the outside can be
made to communicate when the subject 2 cuts a portion of the mouth 214
before the capsule endoscope 4 being swallowed. A slit 215 may also be
provided in the package 210 near the mouth 214 so that a portion of the
mouth 214 can easily be cut. Further, numbers "1" and "2" are marked on
the package 210 above the storage areas 211, 212 to notify the subject 2
of the order to swallow.

[0206]Incidentally, the first liquid 7 and the second liquid 8 may be of
different liquid quality. Both liquids may have different specific
gravities, for example, while the first liquid 7 is water of specific
gravity 1, the second liquid 8 is edible oil (such as olive oil) whose
specific gravity is less than 1. The first liquid 7 and the second liquid
8 of such different liquid quality may be ones, for example, the subject
2 is caused to swallow when the position of the capsule endoscope 4
inside a luminal organ to be examined is adjusted. The first liquid 7 and
the second liquid 8 may also be of the same liquid quality. For example,
the first liquid 7 and the second liquid 8 may liquids of the same
specific gravity. The first liquid 7 and the second liquid 8 of the same
liquid quality may be ones, for example, the subject 2 is caused to
swallow whose amount to be swallowed is adjusted in accordance with the
physique of the subject 2. The capsule endoscope 4 may be one satisfying
the size relation of specific gravity relative to the first liquid 7 and
the second liquid 8 of (the first liquid 7)>(the capsule endoscope
4)>(the second liquid 8) or (the first liquid 7)=(the second liquid
8)>(the capsule endoscope 4).

[0207]The capsule endoscope 4 is, for example, a monocular type including
an imaging optical system capable of imaging in the front-end direction,
a circuitry such as a board, circuit components, and a transmitting
antenna, a battery, an acceleration sensor, and an angular velocity
sensor inside a capsule casing (not shown) insertable into the body
cavity of the subject 2 and is formed by fluid-tightly sealing the inside
of the capsule casing. The capsule endoscope 4 picks up images of objects
(inner parts of organs of the subject 2) positioned in the gravity
direction while floating in the liquid. The balance of the center of
gravity of the capsule endoscope 4 in the front-back direction may be
changed so that, for example, the front-end side thereof is made
relatively lighter and an upper side in the gravity direction can be
imaged by the imaging optical system, or the balance of the center of
gravity of the capsule endoscope 4 in the front-back direction may be
changed so that the front-end side thereof is made relatively heavier and
an lower side in the gravity direction can be imaged by the imaging
optical system.

[0208]A series of feeding methods in which the subject 2 takes in the
capsule endoscope 4 using the capsule storing device 206 to insert the
capsule endoscope 4, for example, into stomach will be described using
drawings of FIG. 46 to FIG. 48. FIG. 46 is a schematic diagram showing a
state in which the subject takes the intake material shown in FIG. 45,
FIG. 47 is an outline flow chart showing the procedure for the feeding
method of an intake material according to the eighth embodiment, and FIG.
48 is a schematic front view showing the appearance of stomach during
observation. In the eighth embodiment, a case in which the capsule
endoscope 4 satisfies the size relation of specific gravity relative to
the first liquid 7 and the second liquid 8 of (the first liquid
7)>(the capsule endoscope 4)>(the second liquid 8) and the balance
of the center of gravity in the frontback direction is changed so that
the front-end side thereof is made relatively lighter in order to allow
imaging in the gravity direction, for example, the upper side in the
gravity direction by the imaging optical system while the capsule
endoscope 4 floats in the liquid before being inserted into the stomach
3.

[0209]In FIG. 47, before intake materials are fed, the antenna unit 6c
having the antennas A1 to An for reception for receiving a signal from
the capsule endoscope 4 is arranged at a predetermined position of the
subject 2 and the main receiving unit 6d is arranged at a position near
the subject 2 (step S101). Next, a portion of the mouth 214 is cut (step
S102), the mouth 214 is brought closer to the mouth, as shown in FIG. 46,
and, by applying pressure (pressure in the direction of an arrow A in
FIG. 45) to the package 210 on an outer circumference of the storage area
211 (for example, a partial area of the package 210 where the swallowing
order "1" is marked) by, for example, fingers (step S103), the capsule
endoscope 4 and the first liquid 7 are discharged into the mouth of the
subject 2 (the direction of an arrow B in FIG. 45).

[0210]Accordingly, the subject 2 becomes able to swallow the first liquid
7 and the capsule endoscope 4 into the body and the swallowed first
liquid 7 and capsule endoscope 4 are inserted into the stomach 3 (step
S104). In this case, the subject 2 swallows intake materials in a
standing or sitting position. In this state, the partition wall 213 of
the package 210 maintains a closed state and the storage area 211 and the
storage area 212 remain separated. The capsule endoscope 4 may be
activated, for example, like a conventional example, by mounting a
permanent magnet on the package 210 and taking out the capsule endoscope
4, or a permanent magnet may be brought closer to the capsule endoscope 4
after being taken out from the package 210. When the capsule endoscope 4
is activated, LED of the imaging optical system blinks and thus, the
package is preferably formed of a transparent material so that the
subject can confirm the blink.

[0211]Next, when pressure (pressure in the direction of an arrow C in FIG.
45) is applied to the package 210 on an outer circumference of the
storage area 212 (for example, a partial area of the package 210 where
the swallowing order "2" is marked) (step S105), the partition wall 213
opens to the storage area 211 to allow penetration of the storage area
211 and the storage area 212 so that the second liquid 8 in the storage
area 212 is discharged into the mouth of the subject (the direction of
the arrow B in FIG. 45) via the storage area 211. Accordingly, the
subject 2 becomes able to swallow the second liquid 8 into the body and
the swallowed second liquid 8 are inserted into the stomach 3 (step
S106). When the capsule endoscope 4, the first liquid 7, and the second
liquid 8 are inserted into the stomach 3, the stomach 3 extends based on
the intake and, as shown in FIG. 48, a laminated state in which the
second liquid 8 forms the interfacial boundary 12 above the first liquid
7 is brought about due to differences in specific gravity, with the
capsule endoscope 4 having an intermediate specific gravity positioned at
the interfacial boundary 12 to float there. Since the balance of the
center of gravity in the front-back direction is changed so that the
front-end side thereof is made relatively lighter, the capsule endoscope
4 stabilizes and floats in a standing state (vertical state) with the
front-end side to be the imaging direction directed upward at the
interfacial boundary 12. The capsule endoscope 4 acquires images of the
sidewall 3a by imaging the upper side of the stomach 3 in such a stable
standing state and transmits the acquired images to the receiving
apparatus 6 and, as a result, an observation of the stomach 3 can be
started (step S107).

[0212]Thus, in the eighth embodiment, the capsule endoscope 4 and the
first liquid 7, and the second liquid 8 are stored in the plurality of
the storage areas 211, 212 of the package 210 respectively as intake
materials of the subject 2, these storage areas 211, 212 are
communicatively connected, a partition wall is provided between the
storage areas 211, 212, intake materials are discharged in an open state
of the partition wall when pressure in one direction is applied, and
intake materials are allowed to be fed to the subject 2 in specific order
based on numbers marked on the package 210 and therefore, the subject 2
is enabled to take in a plurality of intake materials needed for
examination correctly and easily in specific order. Since the order of
intake becomes correct in the eighth embodiment, anybody can deal with
the package 210 easily so that the examination is made easier.
Accordingly, a probability that the subject 2 takes in intake materials
in incorrect order is reduced and examinations advance smoothly so that
prevention of incorrect examinations and more efficient examination times
can be promoted. Moreover, the capsule storing device 206 consists of one
package and thus, there is no need for other people than the subject 2 to
touch the package so that examinations can hygienically be completed.

[0213]Since, in the eighth embodiment, the stomach 3 can be caused to
extend by drinking liquids, sufficient space can be secured inside organs
required for observation by the capsule endoscope 4, the inner wall of
organs can be imaged more closely, and observations inside the stomach 3
can be made without omission. The capsule endoscope 4 floats at the
interfacial boundary 12 rocking randomly only by changing the position of
the interfacial boundary 12 inside the stomach 3 in combination with
posture changes of the subject 2 itself. With the capsule endoscope 4
rocking randomly, imaging regions inside the stomach 3 to be imaged by
the capsule endoscope 4 can be caused to change and thus, the stomach 3
can be observed more thoroughly without omission. Further, by using the
capsule endoscope 4 provided with an imaging optical system having a
wider angle shown by solid lines instead of dotted lines shown in FIG.
48, observations inside the stomach 3 in a wider range can be made with a
smaller posture change.

[0214]Also in the eighth embodiment, observations inside the stomach 3 can
be caused to be made with the floating position in the gravity direction
of the capsule endoscope 4 inside the stomach 3 set at an arbitrary
position by causing the height position of the interfacial boundary 12 to
change by changing intakes of the first liquid 7 and the second liquid 8
into the stomach 3, FIG. 49 is a schematic front view showing the
appearance inside the stomach 3 before and after increasing an intake of
the first liquid 7. That is, as shown in FIG. 49(a), after starting an
observation by swallowing the capsule endoscope 4 together with
predetermined amounts of the first liquid 7 and the second liquid 8, as
shown in FIG. 49(b), the sidewall 3a can be observed successively from
the lower part (pyloric part of stomach) 3b toward the upper part
(cardiac part of stomach) 3c of the stomach 3 by the first liquid 7
additionally being drunk if necessary to successively increase the intake
of the first liquid 7 inside the stomach 3 so that the position of the
interfacial boundary 12 gradually rises. Also in this case, the imaging
region by the capsule endoscope 4 can be changed only by changing the
position of the interfacial boundary 12 inside the stomach 3 in
combination with a posture change of the subject 2 itself each time the
first liquid 7 is added so that observations inside the stomach 3 can be
made exhaustively without omission. Also when the balance of the center
of gravity is changed in the front-back direction to make the front-end
side of the capsule endoscope 4 relatively heavier so that the lower side
in the gravity direction can be imaged by the imaging optical system,
like the above case, the imaging region by the capsule endoscope 4 can be
changed only by changing the position of the interfacial boundary 12
inside the stomach 3 so that observations inside the stomach 3 can be
made exhaustively without omission. Accordingly, a plurality of images
picked up randomly can be combined based on correlations of between
images after an examination so that it becomes possible to create an
overall image inside the stomach 3 and when the image is presented to a
physician or the like, to make an efficient diagnosis.

[0215]If liquids of the same specific gravity are used as the first liquid
7 and the second liquid 8, for example, water of the specific gravity 1
is used for both, the same effect as that described above can be
achieved, but in this case, the capsule endoscope 4 is in the standing
position at the interfacial boundary between the water and air space.
Thus, viscosity becomes weaker compared with a case of two liquids of
different specific gravities and, if the interfacial boundary fluctuates,
the capsule endoscope 4 moves (falls) more widely, making it difficult
for the capsule endoscope 4 to float in the stable standing position with
less movement. When two liquids of different specific gravities are used,
an observation plane of the capsule endoscope 4 is always in the liquid
and satisfactory images can be obtained because such a scratch or dirt on
the observation plane of the capsule endoscope 4 becomes inconspicuous.
Further in the eighth embodiment, the stomach is filled with the first
liquid 7 and the second liquid 8 and thus, supersonic waves propagate
satisfactorily. Thus, the position and orientation of the capsule
endoscope can be determined by picking up three-dimensional images inside
the stomach by a BD supersonic probe or the like provided outside the
subject when acquiring images. Then, an image of the inner wall of the
stomach can be constructed with high precision by image combination based
on the position or orientation information, contributing to a diagnosis
with high precision.

[0216]The position of the capsule endoscope 4 can be detected, for
example, by an acceleration sensor or an angular velocity sensor provided
inside the capsule endoscope 4, but the receiving apparatus 6 has a
plurality of antennas A1 to An for reception for receiving a radio signal
from the capsule endoscope 4 and a position detection function for
calculating the position of the capsule endoscope 4 from each received
strength of the plurality of antennas A1 to An for reception may be
provided. Then, the above image combination may be performed based on a
result of the position detection function. In this case, precision of
image combination is further improved so that a more reliable diagnosis
can be made.

[0217]Twelfth Modification

[0218]FIG. 50 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a twelfth
modification of the capsule storing device 206 according to the eighth
embodiment in FIG. 45. In FIG. 50, the capsule storing device 206
comprises therein a package 220 having storage areas 221, 222 separated
completely in an impenetrable state. Mouths 223, 224 through which the
subject 2 swallows intake materials inside the storage areas 221, 222 are
separately provided at both ends thereof.

[0219]The twelfth modification is the same as the eighth embodiment in
that the capsule endoscope 4 and the first liquid 7 are stored in the
storage areas 221 and the second liquid 8 is stored in the storage areas
222, and the numbers "1" and "2" are marked on the package 220 above the
storage areas 221, 222 to notify the subject 2 of the order to swallow.
Also just like the eighth embodiment, slits 225, 226 are provided in the
package 220 near the mouths 223, 224 so that a portion of the mouths 223,
224 can easily be cut.

[0220]In the twelfth modification, the subject cuts a portion of the mouth
223 and applies pressure to the package 220 on an outer circumference of
the storage area 221 (for example, a partial area of the package 220
where the swallowing order "1" is marked) so that the capsule endoscope 4
and the first liquid 7 inside the storage area 221 are discharged into
the mouth of the subject 2. Then, the subject 2 turns around the package
220 to the storage area 222 side, cuts a portion of the mouth 224, and
applies pressure to the package 220 on an outer circumference of the
storage area 222 (for example, a partial area of the package 220 where
the swallowing order "2" is marked) so that the second liquid 8 inside
the storage area 222 is discharged into the mouth of the subject 2.

[0221]Also in the twelfth modification, as described above, the capsule
endoscope 4 and the first liquid 7, and the second liquid 8 are stored in
the plurality of the storage areas 221, 222 of the package 220
respectively as intake materials of the subject 2 and intake materials
are allowed to be fed to the subject 2 in specific order based on numbers
marked on the package 220 and therefore, like the eighth embodiment, the
subject is enabled to take in a plurality of intake materials needed for
examination correctly and easily in specific order, Markings on the
package are not limited to the above numbers and may be alphabets like
"A", "B", and "C" or any other desired marking allowing indication of
specific order may be used regardless of marking modes thereof.

[0222]The capsule storing device 206 according to the twelfth modification
consists of the package 220 having the storage areas 221, 222 and
therefore, the configuration thereof is simple, the manufacture thereof
is easily automated, and also can be manufactured easily. Like the eighth
embodiment, the capsule storing device 206 according to the twelfth
modification consists of one package and therefore, there is no need for
other people than the subject to touch the package so that examinations
can hygienically be completed.

[0223]Thirteenth Modification

[0224]FIG. 51 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a
thirteenth modification of the capsule storing device 206 according to
the eighth embodiment in FIG. 45. In the thirteenth modification, the
capsule storing device 206 is suitable as a liquid insertion apparatus
when, for example, first and second liquids of different liquid quality
are taken in and the position of the capsule endoscope 4 is controlled in
a luminal organ (stomach) or the intake of liquid is changed in
accordance with the physique or the size of stomach of the subject 2.
That is, in FIG. 51, the capsule storing device 206 according to the
thirteenth modification comprises the storage area 221 comprised of a
plurality of storage areas 221a to 221c for dividing and storing the
first liquid 7 and the storage area 222 comprised of a plurality of
storage areas 222a and 222b for dividing and storing the second liquid 8.
The storage area 221 and the storage area 222 are completely separated in
an impenetrable state. A partition wall 225a penetrably separating the
storage areas 221a and 221b is provided between the storage areas 221a
and 221b and a partition wall 225b penetrably separating the storage
areas 221b and 221c is provided between the storage areas 221b and 221c,
and on the other hand, a partition wall 226 penetrably separating the
storage areas 222a and 222b is provided between the storage areas 222a
and 222b. The partition walls 225a, 225b act, like the partition wall 213
in the eighth embodiment, to allow penetration between both storage areas
only against pressure in a direction from the storage area 221c or the
storage area 221b to the storage area 221a in the same manner, for
example, like a check valve. The partition wall 226 acts, like the
partition wall 213 in the eighth embodiment, to allow penetration between
both storage areas only against pressure in a direction from the storage
area 222b to the storage area 222a in the same manner, for example, like
a check valve. The storage areas 221 and 222 are formed in a completely
separated state so that one storage area is not affected by pressure
applied to the other storage area.

[0225]The mouth 223 is provided at one end of the storage area 221a to
allow the intake materials (the capsule endoscope 4 and the first liquid
7) inside the storage areas 221a to 221c to discharge and the mouth 224
is provided at one end of the storage area 222a to allow the intake
material (the second liquid 8) inside the storage areas 222a and 222b to
discharge. These mouths 223, 224 are formed normally to block the storage
areas 221a, 222a from outside and formed in such a way that the storage
areas 221a, 222a and the outside can be made to communicate when the
subject 2 cuts a portion of the mouths 223, 224 before the intake
materials being swallowed. Slits 227, 228 may also be provided in the
package 220 near the mouths 223, 224 so that a portion of the mouths 223,
224 can easily be cut. Further, numbers "1-1", "12", and "1-3" are marked
on the package 220 above the storage areas 221a to 221c to notify the
subject 2 of the order to swallow. On the package 220 above the storage
areas 222a, 222b, on the other hand, numbers "2-1" and "2-2" are marked
in the same manner to notify the subject 2 of the order to swallow. In
the thirteenth embodiment, for example, 50 ml of the first liquid 7 is
stored in each of the storage areas 221a to 221c and the capsule
endoscope 4 is stored in the storage area 221a together with the first
liquid 7. The second liquid 8 is divided into 200 ml of the second liquid
8 stored in the storage area 222a and 100 ml of the second liquid 8
stored in the storage area 222b. The second liquid 8 is divided and
stored in the storage areas 222a, 222b. For example, 200 ml of the second
liquid 8 is stored in the storage area 222a and 100 ml of the second
liquid 8 is stored in the storage area 222b. In the thirteenth
embodiment, the capsule endoscope 4 may also be stored in a storage area
separately from the first liquid 7.

[0226]When the subject 2 takes in the capsule endoscope 4 using the
capsule storing device 206, the subject 2 first cuts a portion of the
mouth 223 and applies pressure to a storage area (one of the storage
areas 221a to 221c) of a prescribed required intake. If 100 ml of the
first liquid 7 and the capsule endoscope 4 should be taken in, for
example, the capsule endoscope 4 and the first liquid 7 (100 ml) in the
storage areas 221a and 221b are discharged into the mouth of the subject
2 (the direction of the arrow B in FIG. 45) by applying pressure to the
package 220 on an outer circumference of the storage area 221b (for
example, a partial area of the package 220 where the swallowing order
"1-2" is marked). Accordingly, the subject 2 can take in the capsule
endoscope 4 and the prescribed required intake of the first liquid 7 into
the body thereof. In this state, the partition wall 225a opens to the
storage area 221a side to allow penetration of the storage area 221a and
the storage area 221b. On the other hand, the partition wall 225b
separates the storage area 221b and the storage area 221c by maintaining
a closed state to pr event the first liquid 7 in the storage area 221c
from being discharged. Since the subject can take in liquids by directly
putting the mouth 223 in the mouth and thus, the liquids can easily be
taken in regardless of the posture of the subject 2. If, for example, the
subject 2 takes the posture of the left lateral position, right lateral
position, or face-up position, liquids can be taken in easily.

[0227]Next, the subject 2 turns around the package 220 to the storage area
222 side, cuts a portion of the mouth 224, and applies pressure to a
storage area (one of the storage areas 222a and 222b) of a prescribed
required intake. If 200 ml of the second liquid 8 should be taken in, for
example, the second liquid 8 (200 ml) in the storage area 222a is
discharged into the mouth of the subject 2 by applying pressure to the
package 220 on an outer circumference of the storage area 222a (for
example, a partial area of the package 220 where the swallowing order
"2-1" is marked). Accordingly, the subject 2 can take in the prescribed
required intake of the second liquid 8 into the body thereof. In this
state, the partition wall 226 separates the storage area 222a and the
storage area 222b by maintaining a closed state to prevent the second
liquid 8 in the storage area 222b from being discharged.

[0228]Also in the thirteenth modification, as described above, the capsule
endoscope 4 and the first liquid 7, and the second liquid 8 are stored in
the plurality of the storage areas 221, 222 of the package 220
respectively as intake materials of the subject 2 and intake materials
are allowed to be fed to the subject 2 in specific order based on numbers
marked on the package 220 and therefore, an effect similar to that of the
eighth embodiment can be achieved. The first liquid 7 and the second
liquid 8 are divided and stored in the plurality of the storage areas
221a to 221c and the storage areas 222a and 222b respectively before
required intakes thereof being allowed to discharge to the outside and
therefore, intake materials of proper intakes can be fed to the subject
it necessary. For the subject of the average physique, the required total
intake is 500 ml (fed, for example, by dividing the liquids in three
storage areas 100 ml, 200 ml, and 200 ml) or so. If the subject 2 is
large, it is preferable to allow feeding of up to 1000 ml of intake
materials such as liquids to the subject 2 using the capsule storing
device 206, which is configured to have storage areas to be able to store
intake materials of up to 1000 ml.

Ninth Embodiment

[0229]FIG. 52 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a capsule
storing device in a ninth embodiment for storing intake materials to be
taken in by a subject. FIG. 53 is a partially enlarged view partially
enlarging a portion of FIG. 52. In FIG. 52 and FIG. 53, a capsule storing
device 230 comprises a blister pack 231 as a storage unit having storage
areas 231a to 231c for storing a liquid, the capsule endoscope 4, and a
foaming agent respectively, and a sterilized seal 235 provided on an
upper surface of each opening of the blister pack 231. The blister pack
231 has the storage areas 231a to 231c whose cross section is concave and
formed into three box shapes and is formed by linking these box shapes in
a row at the upper surface of openings. A sealing surface 231d for
closing each opening by heat sealing of the sterilized seal 235 is
provided on the upper surface of the openings. The sealing surface 231d
is formed by surrounding an outer circumference on the upper surface of
the openings of the storage areas 231a to 231c arranged in a row in an
endless form.

[0230]A liquid is stored in the storage area 231a and a "1" is marked on
the side of the blister pack 231 where the storage area 231a is formed to
notify the subject 2 of the swallowing order. This liquid consists of
water whose specific gravity is 1 and is stored in the storage area 231a,
for example, with a straw 236 inserted from above and housed in a
cylindrical bottle 232 with graduations 232a from which the total volume
of the liquid and the intake of the subject 2 are recognizable at a
glance. The storage area 231b has the capsule endoscope 4 having the same
configuration as that in the eighth embodiment whose specific gravity is
set a little less than the specific gravity 1 stored therein, and "2" is
marked on the side of the blister pack 231 where the storage area 231b is
formed to notify the subject 2 of the order in the same manner. The
storage area 231c has a foaming agent for extending the stomach 3 of the
subject 2 stored therein and "3" is marked on the side of the blister
pack 231 where the storage area 231c is formed to notify the subject 2 of
the order in the same manner. The foaming agent is stored, for example,
in a state housed in a housing case 233.

[0231]The sterilized seal 235 is sealed a little longer than the sealing
surface 231d on the edge side of, for example, the storage area 231a, and
this one sterilized seal 235 closes the upper surface of openings of the
blister pack 231. The sterilized seal 235 may be made tearable from the
storage area 231a side by tearing off the sterilized seal 235 from the
blister pack 231 by holding a protruding tongue-like portion. The
sterilized seal 235 may consist of three sterilized seals 235a, 235b, and
235c corresponding to the three storage areas 231a, 231b, and 231c. As
shown, for example, in the enlarged view of FIG. 53, sterilized seal 235a
and 235b may close the upper surface of openings respectively with
portions of the adjacent storage areas 235a and 235b overlapping. In this
case, the upper surface of the opening is first closed by the sterilized
seal 235c of the storage area 231c whose order of being swallowed by the
subject 2 is later, and the upper surface of the opening is lastly closed
by the sterilized seal 235a of the storage area 231a whose order of being
swallowed is earliest. An edge of a sterilized seal in later order is
sealed to cover the storage area of the order just before a little. In
this case, it is preferable to make adhesive strength between a
sterilized seal and the sealing surface 231d stronger than that between
seals to prevent each sterilized seal from being peeled successively.

[0232]Therefore, when the sterilized seal 235a of the storage area 231a
with the number "1" marked is torn off from the blister pack 231, as
shown in FIG. 53, the bottle 232 in which water is stored and an edge of
the sterilized seal 235b of the second storage area 231b appear, making
the sterilized seal 235b of the next storage area 231b tearable. The
subject 2 is enabled to take out the bottle 232 to drink an amount of
liquid (for example, water) required for the body. Since the bottle 232
has the graduations 232a indicating the volume of water, the subject 2
drinks the amount of water in accordance with the size of body of the
subject through the straw 236 while referring to the graduations 232a.
The intake of water to be taken in by the subject 2 may be determined
from information of the weight, height, chest circumference and the like
of the subject 2 measured in advance or from information of the size of
stomach acquired from X rays or ultrasound scanning of the abdomen.

[0233]Next, when the subject 2 tears off the sterilized seal 235b of the
storage area 231b with the number "2" marked from the blister pack 231,
the capsule endoscope 4 and an edge of the sterilized seal 235c of the
third storage area 231c appear, making the sterilized seal 235c of the
next storage area 231c tearable. The subject 2 picks up and swallows the
capsule endoscope 4. Accordingly, the subject 2 is enabled to swallow
water and the capsule endoscope 4 into the body and the swallowed water
and capsule endoscope 4 are inserted into the stomach 3. The capsule
endoscope 4 is activated in the same manner as in the eighth embodiment.

[0234]Then, when the sterilized seal 235c of the storage area 231c with
the number "3" marked is torn off from the blister pack 231, the housing
case 233 in which a foaming agent is stored appears. The subject 2 picks
up the housing case 233 to swallow the foaming agent. At this point,
water to allow reaction (foaming) with the foaming agent may also be
taken in. If the foaming agent is taken in, pressure inside the stomach
rises, making belching more likely. However, belching must be stifled for
examinations and thus, it is difficult to take in a liquid or capsule
endoscope after taking in a foaming agent. Consequently, from this
standpoint, it is desirable for the subject to take in the foaming agent
at the end. If an observation should be made by dropping a capsule
endoscope into the stomach extended by a foaming agent or liquid, the
capsule endoscope (or any other liquid) may be swallowed after taking in
the foaming agent if necessary.

[0235]When the capsule endoscope 4, the liquid, and the foaming agent are
inserted into the stomach 3, the stomach 3 is extended by the foaming
agent and, as shown in FIG. 54, an interfacial boundary F is formed by
the liquid 7 and air space due to a difference in specific gravity and
the capsule endoscope 4 whose specific gravity is smaller than that of
the liquid 7 floats positioned at the interfacial boundary F. Since the
balance of the capsule endoscope 4 in the front-back direction is changed
so that the front-end side is made relatively lighter, the capsule
endoscope 4 will float by stabilizing in the standing state (vertical
state) in which the front-end side to be the imaging direction at the
interfacial boundary F is directed upward in the gravity direction. The
capsule endoscope 4 acquires images of the sidewall 3a by imaging the
upper side of the stomach 3 in such a stable standing state and transmits
the acquired images to the receiving apparatus 6 and, as a result, an
observation of the stomach 3 can be started.

[0236]Also in the ninth embodiment, observations inside the stomach 3 can
be caused to be made with the floating position in the gravity direction
of the capsule endoscope 4 inside the stomach 3 set at an arbitrary
position by causing the height position of the interfacial boundary F to
change by changing an intake of the first liquid 7 into the stomach 3.
That is, after starting an observation by swallowing the capsule
endoscope 4 together with a predetermined amount of the first liquid 7,
the sidewall 3a can be observed successively from the lower part (pyloric
part of stomach) 3b toward the upper part (cardiac part of stomach) 3c of
the stomach 3 by the first liquid 7 additionally being drunk if necessary
to successively increase the intake of the first liquid 7 inside the
stomach 3 so that the position of the interfacial boundary F gradually
rises, for example, from a solid line position to a dotted line position.
Also in this case, the imaging region by the capsule endoscope 4 can be
changed only by changing the position of the interfacial boundary F
inside the stomach 3 in combination with a posture change of the subject
2 itself each time the first liquid 7 is added so that imaging inside the
stomach 3 can be made without omission. Also when the balance is changed
in the front-back direction to make the front-end side of the capsule
endoscope 4 relatively heavier so that the lower side in the gravity
direction can be imaged by the imaging optical system, like the above
case, the imaging region by the capsule endoscope 4 can be changed only
by changing the position of the interfacial boundary F inside the stomach
3 so that imaging inside the stomach 3 can be made without omission.
Accordingly, a plurality of images picked up randomly can be combined
based on correlations of between images after an examination so that it
becomes possible to create an overall image of the stomach 3 and when the
image is presented to a physician or the like, to make an efficient
diagnosis.

[0237]In the ninth embodiment, as described above, a plurality of intake
materials such as a liquid, the capsule endoscope 4, and a foaming agent
are stored in the partitioned storage areas 231a to 231c of the blister
pack 231 and the sterilized seal 235 is peeled in specific order based on
numbers marked on the blister pack 231 to allow feeding of each intake
material to the subject 2 in the specific order and therefore, the
subject 2 is enabled to take in a plurality of intake materials needed
for examination correctly and easily in specific order. Since some types
of capsule medical apparatus in a capsule shape are dissolved in a
liquid, deformation and deterioration of individual intake materials can
be prevented, like the ninth embodiment, by storing each intake material
separately in each storage area.

[0238]A liquid or foaming agent may not be taken in for examinations
inside the body cavity by the capsule endoscope 4. In such a case, it is
also possible to store the capsule endoscope 4 and a foaming agent, or a
liquid and the capsule endoscope 4 separately in the storage areas of the
blister pack 231 and to peel the sterilized seal 235 in specific order
based on numbers marked on the blister pack 231 to enable the subject 2
to take in the capsule endoscope 4 and the foaming agent, or the liquid
and the capsule endoscope 4 in this order. Since water to allow intake of
a foaming agent may be necessary, it is also possible, in consideration
of the above case, to store the water in a storage area of the blister
pack 231 so that the subject can take in the capsule endoscope 4, a
foaming agent, and the water in this order. Depending on storage or
transportation characteristics, only a liquid and foaming agent, or a
portion thereof may be stored in the storage areas of the blister pack
231.

[0239]The capsule endoscope 4 may contain a first magnetic body (permanent
magnet) that can be guided from outside the subject 2 to cause the
capsule endoscope 4, for example, to move in the horizontal direction or
to swing on the spot by adding a magnetic field by a magnetic body
(permanent magnet or electromagnet) to the capsule endoscope 4 from
outside the subject. Here, if the magnetic body outside the subject 2 to
be used for guidance is a permanent magnet, a new storage area is formed
at the end of the blister pack 231 to store, like other intake materials,
the permanent magnet therein to define the order of using the permanent
magnet. Then, it is also possible to allow intake or acquisition by the
subject, for example, in the order of a liquid, the capsule endoscope 4,
and a permanent magnet, in the order of the capsule endoscope 4, a
foaming agent, and a permanent magnet, in the order of a liquid, the
capsule endoscope 4, a foaming agent and a permanent magnet, or in the
order of the capsule endoscope 4, a foaming agent, water and a permanent
magnet. In this case, the blister pack 231 is preferably constructed of a
magnetic closed circuit to block a magnetic field of the stored magnet.

[0240]Further, if the position of a magnet outside the subject is
indicated by using a template, a new storage area to store the template
is formed at the first position of the blister pack 231 to store, like
other intake materials, the template therein. Then, it is also possible
to allow intake or acquisition by the subject, for example, in the order
of a template, a liquid, the capsule endoscope 4, and a permanent magnet,
in the order of a template, the capsule endoscope 4, a foaming agent, and
a permanent magnet, in the order of a template, a liquid, the capsule
endoscope 4, a foaming agent and a permanent magnet, or in the order of a
template, the capsule endoscope 4, a foaming agent, water and a permanent
magnet.

[0241]The subject 2 may also take in a remover (such as Gascon,
dimethylpolysiloxane, pronase, proctase and sodium hydrogen carbonate) to
remove foams by a foaming agent or mucus inside the stomach, or mucus
itself before taking in a liquid. In this case, a new storage area to
store a remover may be formed at the first position of the blister pack
231 or the remover may be caused to mix with a liquid stored in a storage
area. Then, it is also possible to allow intake by the subject 2, for
example, in the order of a remover, a liquid, and the capsule endoscope
4, in the order of a remover, the capsule endoscope 4, and a foaming
agent, in the order of a remover, a liquid, the capsule endoscope 4, and
a foaming agent, or in the order of a remover, the capsule endoscope 4, a
foaming agent, and a liquid. In addition, antispastics (such as a
peppermint solution, oxethazaine, scopolia extract, and timepidium
bromide) may be fed in specific order to enable the subject 2 to take in
such antispastics.

[0242]Fourteenth Modification

[0243]FIG. 55 is a front view showing the configuration of a fourteenth
modification of the capsule storing device 230 according to the ninth
embodiment shown in FIG. 52. In FIG. 55, the capsule storing device 230
according to the fourteenth modification comprises a package 240 as a
storage unit having storage areas 241, 242 storing the capsule endoscope
4 and the liquid 7 respectively and a partition wall 243 provided between
the storage areas 241, 242 to penetrably separate the storage areas 241,
242. The package 240 is formed of, for example, a resin material in an
approximately cylindrical bag shape and has the two-part storage areas
241, 242 provided therein. The fourteenth modification is intended to
store each intake material separately in each storage area and thus,
defined as a modification of the ninth embodiment.

[0244]The storage areas 241, 242 are formed in an approximately
cylindrical shape to store the capsule endoscope 4 and the liquid 7
separately. For example, the capsule endoscope 4 is stored in the storage
area 241 and the liquid 7 used by the subject 2 to swallow the capsule
endoscope 4 is stored in the storage area 242. The partition wall 243 to
separate the storage areas 241, 242 is allocated between the storage
areas 241, 242. The partition wall 243 acts to separate the both storage
areas 241, 242 against pressure from the storage area 241 direction
(pressure applied from the storage area 241 side) and acts to allow
penetration between the both storage areas 241, 242 against pressure from
the storage area 242 direction (pressure applied from the storage area
242 side) in the same manner, for example, like a check valve.

[0245]A mouth 244 is provided at one end of the storage area 241 to allow
intake materials inside the storage areas 241, 242 to discharge. The
mouth 244 is formed normally to block the storage area 241 from outside
and formed in such a way that the storage area 241 and the outside can be
made to communicate when the subject 2 cuts a portion of the mouth 244
before the capsule endoscope 4 being swallowed. A slit 245 may also be
provided in the package 240 near the mouth 244 so that a portion of the
mouth 244 can easily be cut.

[0246]In the fourteenth modification, the subject first cuts a portion of
the mouth 244, takes out the capsule endoscope 4 from the storage area
241 and then, applies pressure to the package 240 on an outer
circumference of the storage area 242 to cause the liquid in the storage
area 242 to discharge into the mouth of the subject.

[0247]In the fourteenth modification, as described above, a liquid and the
capsule endoscope 4 are stored separately in the storage areas and a
portion of the mouth 244 is cut to allow feeding of each intake material
to the subject 2 in specific order and therefore, like the ninth
embodiment, the subject 2 is enabled to take in a plurality of intake
materials needed for examination correctly and easily in specific order,
and deformation and deterioration of individual intake materials can be
prevented.

[0248]The fourteenth modification is described by taking the capsule
endoscope 4 as an example, but instead of the capsule endoscope 4, for
example, a solid or powder foaming agent may also be stored in the
storage area 241. In this case, the foaming agent deforms or deteriorates
due to moisture content and thus, deformation and deterioration of the
foaming agent before being swallowed by the subject 2 can be prevented by
storing the foaming agent separately from the liquid. Then, it is also
possible, after the capsule endoscope 4 being swallowed, to enable the
subject 2 to take in the foaming agent and water in this order.

Tenth Embodiment

[0249]FIG. 56 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a capsule
storing device 250 according to a tenth embodiment for storing intake
materials to be taken in by a subject, and FIG. 57 is a block diagram
showing the internal configuration of a drive controlling system of the
capsule storing device 250 shown in FIG. 56. In the tenth embodiment, in
contrast to the above-described packages or blister packs, a plurality of
intake materials to be taken in by the subject is fed in order
mechanically and actively. In FIG. 56 and FIG. 57, the capsule storing
device 250 comprises an enclosure main body 251 as a storage unit whose
side view is in a one-side open square shape, a covering device 252
covering an upper surface of an opening of the enclosure main body 251, a
feeding button 253 for instructing feeding of intake material, a liquid
discharge unit 254 provided in an upper part of the enclosure main body
251 to serve as a storage area for storing and discharging first and
second liquids, a solid material extraction unit 255 provided in the
upper part of the enclosure main body 251 to serve as a storage area for
storing, among the capsule endoscope 4 and intake materials, the capsule
endoscope 4 and solid materials such as a foaming agent and from which
the capsule endoscope 4 and solid materials are extracted, a display unit
256 provided in the upper part of the enclosure main body 251 to indicate
the examination order or specific acquisition order of a plurality of
intake materials, and a weight sensor 257 provided in an lower part of
the enclosure main body 251 to detect a container placed such as a cup
261.

[0250]The liquid discharge unit 254 is disposed at the underside of the
upper part of the enclosure main body 251 and discharges the first and
second liquids stored therein in the direction of the weight sensor 257
below under drive control of a liquid discharge drive unit 259. In the
liquid discharge unit 254, the first and second liquids are stored in
separate storage areas and discharged separately based on specific order.

[0251]The solid material extraction unit 255 is disposed on the side
surface of the upper part of the enclosure main body 251 and causes the
capsule endoscope 4 and a foaming agent to be transported in a lateral
direction of the enclosure main body 251 under drive control of a solid
material extraction drive unit 260 so that the subject 2 can extract the
capsule endoscope 4 and the foaming agent stored therein. The solid
material extraction unit 255 may be constructed so that both intake
materials, the capsule endoscope 4 and the foaming agent, are transported
simultaneously or separately. These intake materials can be replenished
by replenishing the liquid discharge unit 254 and the solid material
extraction unit 255 with intake materials from above after opening the
covering device 252 covering the upper surface of the opening of the
enclosure main body 251.

[0252]The display unit 256 consists of, for example, a display unit of LCD
and displays the next step to be taken by the subject 2 when the feeding
button 253 is pressed. The weight sensor 257 detects the weight of the
placed cup 261 and when the cup 261 reaches a certain weight with a flow
of liquid, notifies a control unit 258 of detection information that the
cup 261 has reached a certain weight. The control unit 258 performs
display and drive control of the display unit 256, the liquid discharge
drive unit 259r and the solid material extraction drive unit 260 in
accordance with instruction information from the feeding button 253 and
detection information from the weight sensor 257. Operations of the
display and drive control by the control unit 258 will be described below
using a flow chart in FIG. 58.

[0253]First, when the subject 2 to be examined presses the feeding button
253 (step S301, S302), the control unit 258 causes the display unit 256
under display control to display "1" indicating specific order and a
message "Liquid will come out. Please place a cup." in a screen of the
display unit 256 (step S303). When the cup 261 is placed on the weight
sensor 257, the weight sensor 257 detects that a cup has been placed
(step S304) and the control unit 258 causes the liquid discharge drive
unit 259 under drive control to discharge the first liquid 7 from the
liquid discharge unit 254 in accordance with a detection signal from the
weight sensor 257 (step S305). The capsule storing device 250 has an
input unit of information, and the control unit 258 determines the type
of liquid and an intake required for the examination based on subject
information (such as the physique of the subject, stomach size, and
examination conditions on that day) input through the input unit from
outside in advance or transferred from a hospital-wide network or the
like and causes the liquid discharge drive unit 259 to feed a liquid of
the determined type and intake.

[0254]When the discharged first liquid 7 gathers in the cup 261 and the
weight sensor 257 detects a certain weight, the control unit 258 causes
the liquid discharge drive unit 254 to stop discharging of the first
liquid 7 from the liquid discharge unit 254 and the display unit 256 to
display "2" indicating specific order and a message "Please drink the
liquid. When you finish drinking, please press the feeding button." in
the screen of the display unit 256 (step S306). The subject 2 drinks the
first liquid 7 according to this display and presses the feeding button
253 (step S307, S307).

[0255]When the feeding button 253 is pressed again, the control unit 258
causes the solid material extraction drive unit 260 under drive control
to transport the capsule endoscope 4 from the solid material extraction
unit 255 out of the capsule storing device 250 (step S308). Then, the
control unit 258 causes the display unit 256 to display "3" indicating
specific order and a message "Please swallow the capsule. When you finish
swallowing, please press the feeding button." in the screen of the
display unit 256 (step S309). The capsule endoscope 4 is already
activated when being transported from the solid material extraction unit
255. The capsule storing device 250 has an electromagnet for capsule
activation provided in the solid material extraction unit 255 and the
capsule endoscope 4 is caused to activate by turning on a magnetic switch
inside the capsule endoscope 4 by causing the electromagnet to generate a
magnetic field.

[0256]Next, when the feeding button 253 is pressed (step S301, S310), the
control unit 258 causes the display unit 256 to display "4" indicating
specific order and a message "Liquid will come out. Please place a cup."
in the screen of the display unit 256 (step S311). When the cup 261 is
placed on the weight sensor 257 (step S312), the control unit 258 causes
the liquid discharge drive unit 259 to discharge the second liquid 8 from
the liquid discharge unit 254 in accordance with a detection signal from
the weight sensor 257 (step S313). When a certain amount of the second
liquid 8 gathers in the cup 261, the control unit 258 causes the liquid
discharge drive unit 259 to stop discharging of the second liquid 8 from
the liquid discharge unit 254 and the display unit 256 to display "5"
indicating specific order and a message "Please drink the liquid." in the
screen of the display unit 256 (step S314). The subject 2 drinks the
second liquid 8 according to this display and presses the feeding button
253 (step S301).

[0257]Then, the capsule storing device 250 continues to provide
examination instructions to make the subject 2 additionally drink the
first liquid 7 to control the floating position of the capsule endoscope
4 inside the stomach 3. In this case, the control unit 258 causes the
display unit 256 to display information of the examination instructions.
That is, the examination instructions are provided in the form of message
display such as "Please additionally drink the first liquid." in the
screen of the display unit 256 after the feeding button 253 being pressed
(step S315) and the control unit 258 performs an additional control
operation (step S316).

[0258]In the tenth embodiment, like the eighth embodiment, the stomach can
be caused to extend by drinking a liquid and therefore, sufficient space
can be secured inside organs required for observation by the capsule
endoscope 4, the inner wall of organs can be imaged more closely, and
observations inside the stomach can be made without omission. The capsule
endoscope 4 floats at an interfacial boundary (a liquid-liquid
interfacial boundary by the first and second liquids or a gas-liquid
interfacial boundary by the first liquid and a gas) rocking randomly only
by changing the position of the interfacial boundary inside the stomach
in combination with posture changes of the subject 2 itself. With the
capsule endoscope 4 rocking randomly, imaging regions inside the stomach
to be imaged by the capsule endoscope 4 can be caused to change and thus,
inside the stomach can be observed more thoroughly without omission. As a
result, a plurality of images picked up randomly can be combined based on
correlations of between images after an examination so that it becomes
possible to create an overall image inside the stomach and when the image
is presented to a physician or the like, to make an efficient diagnosis.

[0259]In the tenth embodiment, as described above, intake materials are
mechanically and actively fed based on specific order and therefore, the
subject can be enabled to take in a plurality of intake materials
required for an examination correctly and easily in specific order. Since
the order of intake becomes correct, as described above, anybody can deal
with the capsule storing device easily so that the examination is made
easier. Accordingly, a probability that the subject 2 takes in intake
materials in incorrect order is reduced and examinations advance smoothly
so that prevention of incorrect examinations and more efficient
examination times can be promoted. Also in the tenth embodiment, the
order of feeding intake materials and intakes can arbitrarily adjusted in
accordance with the physique of the subject and examination purposes and
therefore, flexibility in feeding intake materials is improved and
examination can be made with still higher precision. Moreover,
examinations of a plurality of subjects can be dealt with by one capsule
storing device, leading to more efficient examinations.

[0260]In the capsule storing device 250 according to the tenth embodiment,
for example, a function to mix a plurality of liquids or a liquid and a
solid such as powder inside the capsule storing device 250 for feeding
may be provided. With this mixing function provided, concentrations of
liquid can be adjusted and optimal liquids fitted to each subject can be
fed and thus, examinations can be made with still higher precision.
Further, the temperature of liquid to be fed can be adjusted.
Accordingly, the specific gravity of liquid can be adjusted by
concentrations or the temperature to control the floating state of the
capsule endoscope in the liquid. If the liquid is water, for example, the
specific gravity increases as the temperature drops, making the capsule
endoscope more likely to float in liquids. The specific gravity of liquid
taken in can be caused to change by first drinking cold (for example, at
temperature of 10.degree. C. or so) water and then gradually raising the
temperature thereof by body temperature.

[0261]When the capsule storing device 250 is replenished with liquids, the
capsule storing device 250 may be constructed so that intake materials to
be replenished that are stored in a package like in the eighth and ninth
embodiments can be set to the capsule storing device 250 to allow
replenishment of intake materials that need to be taken in by the subject
at a time.

[0262]Further, the capsule storing device 250 according to the tenth
embodiment may be constructed so that necessary intake materials are fed
in accordance with a pass time in the body of the capsule endoscope 4 (an
example of the capsule medical apparatus) taken in by the subject 2 or
other states (the position, posture, or movement speed of the capsule
endoscope 4 or a state of observation images or illumination emission)
concerning the capsule endoscope 4. In this case, the capsule storing
device 250 comprises a state detector for detecting the pass time in the
body of such a capsule medical apparatus or other states concerning the
capsule endoscope 4, and determines a state (such as the above-described
pass time in the body, position and the like) of the capsule medical
apparatus based on the state detector. FIG. 59 is an outline flow chart
showing another procedure for the feeding method of an intake material
using the capsule storing device according to the tenth embodiment of the
present invention. As shown in FIG. 59, before feeding intake materials
to be fed to the subject 2, the antenna unit 6c having the antennas A1 to
An for reception for receiving a radio signal from the capsule endoscope
4 is arranged at a predetermined position of the subject 2 and also the
main receiving unit 6d is arranged near the subject 2 (step S401).

[0263]Next, the feeding button 253 of the capsule storing device 250 is
operated to feed intake materials currently needed for the subject 2
(step S402). In this case, in response to this operation of the feeding
button 253, the capsule storing device 250 feeds an intake material such
as a cleaning agent (remover) to clean digestive tracts of the subject 2.
More specifically, such an intake material is discharged from the liquid
discharge unit 254 into the cup 261 before being fed to the subject 2.

[0264]Subsequently, the capsule storing device 250 provides instructions
of action necessary for the subject 2 when such an intake material is fed
(step S403). At step S403, for example, the capsule storing device 250
provides instructions to the subject 2 to take in the intake material
such as a remover fed at step S402 before a capsule medical apparatus
such as the capsule endoscope 4 through, for example, instruction display
by the display unit 256. In this case, the capsule storing device 250 may
provide instructions to the subject 2 taking in such an intake material
to change the posture to one appropriate for intake of the intake
material if necessary.

[0265]Subsequently, the feeding button 253 of the capsule storing device
250 is operated again to feed a capsule medical apparatus the subject 2
is made to take in (step S404). In this case, in response to this
operation of the feeding button 253, the capsule storing device 250 feeds
the capsule medical apparatus (part of intake materials) such as the
capsule endoscope 4 the subject 2 is made to take in from the solid
material extraction unit 255 to the subject 2. The capsule medical
apparatus fed by the capsule storing device 250 is taken in by the
subject 2.

[0266]Next, the capsule storing device 250 detects an elapsed time after
the capsule medical apparatus being fed (or after the capsule medical
apparatus being taken in by the subject 2) or a state of the capsule
medical apparatus inside the subject 2 using the state detector (not
shown) or the like (step S405). In this case, the capsule storing device
250 (more specifically, the state detector) detects such an elapsed time
or a state (the position, posture, or movement speed of the capsule
medical apparatus or a state of observation images or illumination
emission) concerning the capsule medical apparatus taken in by the
subject 2.

[0267]If such an elapsed time or state of the capsule medical apparatus
detected by the capsule storing device 250 is a predetermined elapsed
time or state (step S406, Yes), the capsule storing device 250 feeds the
next intake material necessary for the subject 2 and/or provides
instructions of action necessary for the subject 2 (step S407). In this
case, the capsule storing device 250 feeds the next intake material (for
example, a liquid such as water) the subject 2 is made to take in next in
accordance with a detection result of the elapsed time or state of the
capsule medical apparatus at step S405. The capsule storing device 250
also provides instructions of action (such as intake of the fed intake
material or a change of posture to one appropriate for intake of the
intake material) necessary for the subject 2 by display instruction
information in the display unit 256 if necessary.

[0268]If such an elapsed time or state of the capsule medical apparatus
detected by the capsule storing device 250 is not a predetermined elapsed
time or state (step S406, No), the capsule storing device 250 returns to
the above step S405 to repeat the processing procedures at step S405 and
thereafter.

[0269]Then, if the examination of the subject 2 (that is, image pickup or
observation of regions to be examined inside the subject 2) is not
completed (step S408, No), the capsule storing device 250 returns to the
above step S405 to repeat the processing procedures at step S405 and
thereafter. If, on the other hand, the examination of the subject 2 is
completed (step S408, Yes), the capsule storing device 250 terminates the
present processing to feed intake materials of the subject 2.

[0270]A concrete example of feeding of intake materials depending on an
elapsed time inside the body of the capsule endoscope 4 will be shown
below. The capsule storing device 250 feeds a cleaning agent (remover) to
clean digestive tracts before the capsule endoscope 4 to have the fed
cleaning agent taken in by the subject 2. To make the cleaning of
digestive tracts more reliable, the capsule storing device 250 may
provide instructions to the subject 2 to change the posture by means of
instruction display in the display unit 256 if necessary.

[0271]The capsule storing device 250 feeds the capsule endoscope 4 when a
predetermined time passes after feeding the cleaning agent or providing
instructions to change the posture. The fed capsule endoscope 4 is taken
in by the subject 2. The capsule storing device 250 stores an intake time
of the capsule endoscope 4 (or a feeding time of the capsule endoscope
4). The capsule storing device 250 feeds a liquid after, for example,
five minutes from the time (the intake time or feeding time) and prompts
the subject or the like to take in the fed liquid by means of instruction
display by the display unit 256 or the like.

[0272]Further, the capsule storing device 250 feeds an intake material
such as another liquid, a foaming agent, a remover, or an antispastic
each time a predetermined time passes if necessary, and provides
instructions to take in the fed intake material by means of instruction
display by the display unit 256 or the like. The capsule storing device
250 may also provide instructions to change the posture after taking in
(or feeding) each intake material or the like.

[0273]Next, a concrete example of feeding intake materials depending on
the region reached in the body by the capsule endoscope 4 (the position
of the capsule endoscope 4) and the state of the capsule endoscope 4 will
be shown below. The capsule storing device 250 first feeds the capsule
endoscope 4 with a specific gravity that floats the capsule endoscope 4
in a liquid. The fed capsule endoscope 4 moves through digestive tracts
after being taken in by the subject 2.

[0274]After the capsule endoscope 4 being taken in, the capsule storing
device 250 confirms that the capsule endoscope 4 has reached the stomach
of the subject 2 by means of a position detector (an example of the above
state detector) and then, feeds a certain liquid (for example, 200 ml of
water), which is the next intake material the subject 2 is made to take
in. Based on images acquired by the capsule endoscope 4, the position
detector of the capsule storing device 250 determines the distance
between the capsule endoscope 4 and the wall of stomach from brightness
of images or the like. If, as a result of state determination processing
by the position detector, the distance is insufficient (too far away),
suitable observations inside the stomach cannot be made and the capsule
storing device 250 further feeds 100 ml of water based on the result of
state determination processing. Additional feeding processing of water by
the capsule storing device 250 continues until the position detector
determines that the distance between the capsule endoscope 4 and the wall
of stomach has become suitable. As a result, a suitable amount of water
for the subject 2 can be fed by the capsule storing device 250.

[0275]The capsule storing device 250 may also feed a foaming agent to
promote extension of the stomach, if necessary. Further, the capsule
storing device 250 may provide instructions to change the posture
necessary for stomach observation or the like by means of instruction
display by the display unit 256 or the like.

[0276]If the subject 2 should be observed closely, the capsule storing
device 250 feeds a magnet (a permanent magnet or electromagnet) to guide
the capsule endoscope 4 inserted into the body of the subject from
outside the body. The capsule endoscope 4 inside the body is guided by
the fed magnet and also picks up images inside the organ successively
and, as a result, close observation inside the body of the subject 2 can
be made.

[0277]If, after the stomach is observed, arrival of the capsule endoscope
4 at the duodenum is confirmed by the position detector, the capsule
storing device 250 feeds 1000 ml of a liquid (such as nonabsorbable
irrigation water for intestinal lavage) to promote advancement of the
capsule endoscope 4. In this case, the capsule storing device 250 may
also provide a drug such as a purgative. Then, if the capsule storing
device 250 can confirm that the capsule endoscope 4 inside the body is
positioned at a boundary between the jejunum and the ileum after such a
liquid or purgative being taken in, the capsule storing device 250
further feeds a liquid or drug for promoting advancement. The capsule
storing device 250 may comprise a speed detector (an example of the state
detector) for detecting the movement speed of the capsule endoscope 4
inside the body so that a liquid or purgative for promoting advancement
is further fed in accordance with the movement speed of the capsule
endoscope 4 detected by the speed detector, that is, when the movement
speed slows down.

[0278]Subsequently, if arrival of the capsule endoscope 4 inside the body
at the large intestine is detected by the position detector, the capsule
storing device 250 feeds an intake material (such as a liquid or
purgative) for promoting advancement and also provides instructions to
the subject 2 to take a lie position by means of instruction display by
the display unit 256 or the like. In this case, the capsule storing
device 250 may also provide instructions to change the posture of the
subject 2 in accordance with the region (such as the ascending colon,
transverse colon, descending colon, and sigmoid colon) of the large
intestine in which the capsule endoscope 4 is positioned. Lastly, the
capsule storing device 250 feeds a purgative (suppository) for promoting
elimination of the capsule endoscope 4 inside the large intestine.

[0279]The position detector for detecting the position of the capsule
endoscope 4 may be one that determines the position of the capsule
endoscope 4 based on features or the amount of change of images picked up
by the capsule endoscope 4, one that detects the position or posture of
the capsule endoscope 4 by detecting a magnetic field generated by a
magnetic field generator (such as a permanent magnet, coil, and
electromagnet) mounted on the capsule endoscope 4 from outside the body,
or one that detects the position of the capsule endoscope 4 based on
received electric-field strength when radio waves sent from the capsule
endoscope 4 are received outside the body. Also, the position detector
may be arranged outside the body of the subject 2 without being contained
in the capsule storing device and information communication between the
position detector and the capsule storing device may be performed by wire
or by radio. From what is described above, action such as feeding of
necessary intake materials and posture change instructions is taken at
necessary timing and, as a result, examinations inside the body of the
subject 2 can be made more reliably.

[0280]Fifteenth Modification

[0281]FIG. 60 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a
fifteenth modification of the capsule storing device 250 according to the
tenth embodiment shown in FIG. 56. In the fifteenth modification, an ID
reader 262 for optically reading identification information is provided
on the side surface of the enclosure main body 251 and the capsule
storing device 250 (the control unit 258) determines what kind of
examination the subject 2 will take and in which order to feed liquids,
the capsule endoscope 4, and a foaming agent to the subject 2 by reading
ID information (ID information such as black and white pattern
information and character information) 263, 265 affixed to wrist bands
attached to, for example, the cup 261 and an arm 264 of the subject 2.
That is, the control unit 258 is caused to store identification
information for identifying the subject 2 and examination as ID
information and also to store the order of examination based on the ID
information and when the relevant ID information is read by the ID reader
262, the control unit 258 controls the liquid discharge unit 254, the
solid material extraction unit 255, and the display unit 256 based on
storage content to feed a plurality of intake materials in specific
order. Amounts of intake materials can be fed after making adjustments
fitting to the subject or examination. Other components in the fifteenth
modification are the same as those in the tenth embodiment and, for
example, the feeding button 253 may not be used or may be used in
combination with ID reading.

[0282]In the fifteenth modification, as described above, ID information of
the subject is detected by using an ID reader and feeding of intake
materials in specific order in accordance with the ID information is
enabled and therefore, like the tenth embodiment, the subject can be
enabled to take in a plurality of intake materials required for an
examination correctly and easily in specific order, and also the order in
which intake materials are fed can arbitrarily be set and therefore, the
order in which liquids and a capsule endoscope are fed can be changed
depending on examination content, improving flexibility to feed intake
materials.

[0283]Sixteenth Modification

[0284]FIG. 61 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a
sixteenth modification of the capsule storing device according to the
tenth embodiment shown in FIG. 56. In the sixteenth modification, instead
of the optical ID reader, a magnetic ID reader 270 for reading ID
information from wireless ID tags by means of radio waves or
electromagnetic waves is provided in the capsule storing device 250. Also
in this case, the capsule storing device 250 (the control unit 258)
determines what kind of examination the subject 2 will take and in which
order to feed liquids, the capsule endoscope 4, and a foaming agent to
the subject 2 by reading ID information from wireless ID tags 271, 272
affixed to wrist bands attached to, for example, the cup 261 and the arm
264 of the subject 2.

[0285]In the sixteenth modification, as described above, ID information of
the subject is detected by using an ID reader and feeding of intake
materials in specific order in accordance with the ID information is
enabled and therefore, like the tenth embodiment, the subject can be
enabled to take in a plurality of intake materials required for an
examination correctly and easily in specific order, and also the order in
which intake materials are fed and amounts of intake materials can
arbitrarily be set and therefore, the order in which liquids and a
capsule endoscope are fed can be changed depending on examination
content, improving flexibility to feed intake materials.

[0286]Additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to those
skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is
not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown
and described herein. Accordingly, various modifications may be made
without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive
concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.